EDMC to cancel building plan if debris is not dumped properly

In a bid to reduce dust-related air pollution arising from the dumping of construction and demolition (C&D) waste in east Delhi, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EMC) announced that it may cancel approved building plans if the owners or builders fail to safely dispose of the waste.

In a bid to reduce dust-related air pollution arising from the dumping of construction and demolition (C&D) waste in east Delhi, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EMC) announced that it may cancel approved building plans if the owners or builders fail to safely dispose of the waste.

Chandigarh India 31 October 2019::Picture of dumped construction waste on PGI-Khuda lahora road side in Chandigarh on Thursday October 31, 2019.Photo by Anil Dayal/Hindustan Times

Builders are supposed to dispose of the waste at the Shastri Park construction and demolition waste processing plant. EDMC commissioner Vikas Anand issued an orderon Tuesday stating that developers and builders will have to deposit C&D waste in the Shastri Park facility. “If they fail to do so, we will undertake punitive action and even approved building plans can be cancelled,” the commissioner’s order states.

The order issued on Tuesday states: “It has been observed that many owners and builders are not disposing the C&D waste at the Shastri Park processing plant which is a violation of orders issued in 2018 and attract penal action. The junior engineers JEs (building) have to take fortnightly round of the construction site in their area as there is urgent need to mitigate the pollution causing factors.”

The order outlines a series of actions junior engineers, the nodal officers for managing the C&D waste, could take against builders/developers. “The owners/ builders will deposit the waste in Shastri Park facility and collect the receipts. The JEs will be responsible for collecting the receipts issued by the C&D plant in Shastri Park and shall issue challan for imposition of adequate penalty in case of violation,” the order said.

The order added that executive engineers will submit a monthly report to EDMC headquarters regarding the disposal of C&D waste.

EDMC mayor Shyam Sunder Aggarwal appealed to east Delhi residents to utilise the Shastri Park facility. “We notice people dumping their malba on roadsides and along drains. This not only leads to traffic jams but is also harmful in terms of air pollution. The Shastri Park facility is available free of cost for residents and people should co-operate,” he added.

The 500-tonne per day capacity processing plant at Shastri Park was one of the first such facilities to come up in the country. Delhi has also developed three more such plants in Burari, Rani Khera and Bakarwala.