City to have plants to recycle construction debris

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has approved setting up two plants to recycle construction and demolition (C&D) debris, thus inching closer to tackling the worsening air pollution in the city

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has approved setting up two plants to recycle construction and demolition (C&D) debris, thus inching closer to tackling the worsening air pollution in the city.

Mumbai, India - October 04, 2022: Illegally dumped garbage on Rafi Ahmed Kidwai (RAK) Marg, Wadala (West), in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, October 04, 2022. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

While the plant at Gorai will handle the waste generated in the western suburbs, the one in Thane will cater to the eastern suburbs and the island city. The combined capacity of these plants would be 1,200 tonnes per day with a provision to increase it by another 25% if demand arises, officials said.

According to CREDAI-MCHI, the apex body of real estate industry members in Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the city generates roughly 900 tonnes of C&D waste every day.

The recycling plants, which recently received a nod from municipal commissioner and administrator Iqbal Chahal, will be a first in the corporation’s history.

During his post-budget press conference, Chahal had said, “We have recently issued a work order where the contractor would pick up the C&D waste from the city, take it to their factory, and make building materials out of it.”

The plants are being built on ‘tipping fee model’ which means the contractor would be paid on per tonne basis, additional commissioner Asheesh Sharma said.

“There will be a mobile app created for citizens and within 48 hours of the request, the waste would be picked up for recycling. Citizens can also raise a request on a helpline number that will be set up by the civic body,” he said.

An official from the solid waste management department said the agency appointed would be paid ₹1,425 per tonne for the eastern suburbs and the island city and ₹1,415 per tonne for the western suburbs.

These prices would be for the first year, the official said. “Within one year, the plants will be operational.”

Environmental activists have welcomed this move but have urged the civic body to run the plants at the earliest.

Sumaira Abdulali, convenor of NGO Awaaz Foundation, said, “Construction waste has been a major contributor to the city’s air pollution. They (BMC) have taken a very long time to bring the plants and there should be no further delays. The plants should be able to handle all the C&D waste in the city.”

Keval Valambhia, COO of CREDAI-MCHI, said the approach of BMC in coming up with two recycling centres is much appreciated. However, in order to reduce the waste at the construction sites, the civic body should introduce an incentive policy for developers who follow the guidelines, he said.

“Many local bodies in developed countries like the UK and Denmark have issued a series of incentives for construction and demolition waste management. Most of these incentives are related to rebates in taxes, including property tax,” Valambhia added.

According to the 2021-22 annual report by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, C&D waste generated in the city that year was 21,012,63 metric tonnes.

The report also said there are four recycling plants in the state. The plant set up by Thane Municipal Corporation has the highest capacity of 300 tonnes per day, followed by Pune Municipal Corporation at 250 tonnes, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation at 200 tonnes, and Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation at 150 tonnes.