EDMC launches on-demand construction waste collection service

Citizens were earlier expected to deposit construction waste at designated spots. The civic body will now collect C&D waste at a cost of ₹452.78 per tonne from January 1, 2022.

East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) officially launched the “on-demand collection” of construction and destruction (C&D) waste on Wednesday. The civic body is the first of Delhi’s five local bodies to start this service.

In October, changing its strategy to increase C&D waste collection, the East Corporation reduced the number of designated C&D waste dumping locations from 61 to 17. (Representational image/HT Archive)

Citizens were earlier expected to deposit construction waste at designated spots. The civic body will now collect C&D waste at a cost of ₹452.78 per tonne from January 1, 2022, municipal commissioner Vikas Anand said. He added that residents of east Delhi areas who want to avail of the facility can call the numbers 9205059982 or 9821488633.

“The site will be verified by the supervisor deputed by the East Corporation, who will intimate the resident about the charges,” he added.

Anand said that the facility will not be available to bulk C&D waste generators as they are obligated to deposit their C&D waste directly at the processing plant at Shastri Park.

The EDMC operates a 1,000 tonne per day C&D waste processing facility at Shastri Park. A senior EDMC official from the department of environment management service (DEMS) said that the on-demand collection will take place in association with Indo Enviro Integrated Solution (erstwhile IL&FS Ltd) with a goal to reduce air pollution.

EDMC mayor Shyam Sunder Aggarwal said that the charges are nominal and will be used to recover the transportation cost. He added that residents of east Delhi should avail of the service instead of illegally dumping construction debris, which leads to an increase in air pollution. While Delhi has the capacity of handling 4,150 tonnes of construction waste everyday, a leakage in the collection mechanism and illegal dumping continues to pose a challenge.

Delhi has five local bodies and it is estimated that the city generates over 3,712 tonnes of construction waste every day. Delhi has four operational C&D waste processing facilities at Jahangir Puri, Shashtri Park, Mundka and Bakkar Wala with a cumulative capacity to handle 4,150 tonnes of demolition waste. A total of 212 designated dumping sites have been fixed by the local bodies.