Utilisation of recycled construction & demolition waste now mandatory in Delhi

New Delhi, Oct 10 (PTI) The Delhi government has made the use of recycled construction and demolition (C-D) waste mandatory in construction projects across the city, Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood said on Friday.

Sood, after chairing a high-level meeting on C-D waste utilisation, said that proper disposal and management of the waste will improve the environment of Delhi.

The meeting was attended by key officials from the Urban Development Department, DJB, DSIIDC, DTTDC, PWD, NDMC, DDA, DPCC, MCD, power discoms, DMRC and NCRTC.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has notified the C-D Waste Management Rules, 2016, which make it mandatory for Local Bodies and public sector entities, including PWD, MCD, DDA, DJB, NDMC, DMRC, CPWD, I&FC, Railways, and NHAI, to ensure utilisation of recycled waste in construction activities.

Sood said that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has set an annual target of 9.85 lakh metric tonnes (MT) for the utilisation of recycled C-D waste products by various departments and agencies in Delhi for the year 2025-26.

"However, as of now, only 52,000 MT of processed C-D waste is being utilised," he said, expressing concern over the low utilisation.

Sood emphasised that the processed C-D waste must be used mandatorily in ongoing and upcoming construction and finishing works.

He directed withholding payment in case of non-compliance with the annual off-take targets of recycled C-D products, and quarterly review meetings to monitor compliance.

Officials from multiple agencies discussed the challenges and bottlenecks they faced in fulfilling the targets set by the housing ministry, said a statement from Sood's office.

The ministry has set annual offtake targets (in Metric Tonnes) for major departments and agencies operating in Delhi, the minister noted.

These targets include 2 lakh MT each for Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)and Irrigation and Flood Control department, while one lakh MT each for Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) and PWD.

The targets for other agencies include New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC),10,000 MT, Delhi Jal Board (DJB),25,000 MT, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), 5,000 MT, and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), 10,000 MT. Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL), 5,000 MT, BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL, 5,000 MT and BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL), 5,000 MT, the statement said.

The targets were set to ensure all construction agencies in Delhi progressively adopt recycled materials for works such as road sub-base, pavement blocks, tiles, drain covers, benches, and other infrastructure components, the statement added. PTI VIT VIT MPL MPL MPL