NEW DELHI: Aiming to ensure proper disposal and management of construction and demolition (C&D) waste to control pollution in the city, the Delhi government has decided to enforce its mandatory use after recycling in construction projects.
The Urban Development Department of the Delhi government has said that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has set an annual target of 9.8 lakh metric tonnes (MT) for the utilisation of recycled C&D waste products by various departments and agencies in the capital for the year 2025-26.
The move will help to achieve the goal of a pollution-free environment. Notably, the MoHUA has set a target for agencies including MCD, NDMC, DISDC, PWD, DJB, DUSIB, DTC, I&FC, Tata Power, BSES Rajdhani, and BSES Yamuna, among others.
Ashish Sood, urban development minister, said that as part of the government’s vision to make Delhi a world-class pollution-free capital, a high-powered meeting of key officials for streamlining utilisation of recycled C&D waste was conducted on Friday. The meeting was attended by key officials from all the agencies concerned.
During the meeting, it was stated that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has notified the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016, which make it mandatory for local bodies and public sector entities to ensure utilisation of recycled waste in their construction activities. The Urban Development Minister also said that as of now, only 52,000 MT of processed C&D waste is being utilised, whereas an annual target of 9.8 lakh metric tonnes was previously set.
While expressing concern over the low utilisation, he also discussed challenges and bottlenecks faced by agencies in fulfilling the targets laid down by the MOHUA.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has set annual offtake targets for the use of recycled materials by key departments and agencies in Delhi. The targets are as follows: Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) – 2,00,000 MT; Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) – 1,00,000 MT; Irrigation and Flood Control Department – 2,00,000 MT; New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) – 10,000 MT; Public Works Department (PWD) – 1,00,000 MT; Delhi Jal Board – 25,000 MT; Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board – 5,000 MT; Delhi Transport Corporation – 10,000 MT; Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) – 5,000 MT; BSES Rajdhani Power Limited – 5,000 MT; and BSES Yamuna Power Limited – 5,000 MT.
These targets are aimed at encouraging all construction agencies to progressively integrate recycled materials in their projects, including applications such as road sub-bases, pavement blocks, tiles, drain covers, benches, and other infrastructure components. Sood emphasised that processed C&D waste must be mandatorily used in construction and finishing works as a fixed layer. He also directed withholding payment in case of non-compliance with the annual off-take targets of recycled C&D products.
