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KDMC mulls construction waste recycling plant
In a bid to ensure that construction waste generated in Kalyan and Dombivli is not dumped on roads leading to congestion, the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation
In a bid to ensure that construction waste generated in Kalyan and Dombivli is not dumped on roads leading to congestion, the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has decided to set up a construction and demolition (C&D) waste recycling plant.
The policy for the C&D waste plant is ready, but the civic body is yet to finalise a spot for the project.
“As per the C&D waste management rules, a civic body is supposed to manage the waste generated within its limits. The policy for the project is ready and only the site has to be finalised. Only then will it be presented in the general body meeting for sanctioning,” said Ghanshyam Navangul, executive engineer, KDMC.
The construction and demolition waste includes bricks, stones and debris. All of this waste is either dumped into the rivers, or nullahs, road side, open spaces and below the trees which later lead to major impact on natural resources, biodiversity and water bodies.
As per KDMC officials, several places in Kalyan and Dombivli have debris dumped in open which also affect the cleanliness of the city and traffic flow.
“Presently, developers in the city appoint contractors to segregate the waste generated at construction sites. Those waste which can be sold or reused are taken away by the contractors. However, the debris generated from old structures, building demolitions mostly end up being dumped in open spaces,” said a KDMC official. “There is a need to have a plant to recycle them,” he added.
According to data, of all the C&D waste generated within the limits of KDMC, 32% is bricks, 32% is concrete and 36% is mud, sand and small stones. If the waste is processed and recycled, it can be used for construction, making paver blocks, tiles and ready-mix concrete.
“Once the plant is installed and starts functioning, dumping of waste in open will reduce. We will also be able to keep a track of who is dumping the waste and take action against them,” said the official.
The policy prepared by the civic body requires a 5-acre plot in KDMC limits for establishing the plant. The plot shall be selected as per the C&D rule, 2016. The plant, once built, will operate in public-private-partnership (PPP) model for 10 or 20 years.
In 2017, the civic body had initiated a dedicated helpline number to lift C&D waste dumped in Kalyan and Dombivli. However, due to poor response, the initiative didn’t take off well. The number was introduced after former mayor Rajendra Devlekar had asked the civic authorities to work on keeping the city clean after the twin city ranked 234 of the 434 cities in Swachh Survekshan 2017.
Ravi Patil, a builder from Kalyan, said, “Most builders in the city manage to recycle and use the waste in their own projects without dumping it on road. The debris found on roads and open spaces are from old structures and demolished buildings.”
