Construction waste plant proposed on 5 acres in Ghaziabad

In order to mitigate the effects of pollution caused due to construction and debris waste generated in the city, the Ghaziabad development authority has proposed the development of a waste processing plant to be setup over an area of five acre

In order to mitigate the effects of pollution caused due to construction and debris waste generated in the city, the Ghaziabad development authority (GDA) has proposed the development of a waste processing plant to be setup over an area of five acre. The officials said that the proposal for the plant was put forth as the city witnesses high levels of construction activity while the debris generated is dumped in vacant plots or pieces of land.

People dumped the construction and demolition (C&D) waste and garbage at a vacant plot near Rail Vihar, at sector-56 road, in Gurugram, India. (HT File Photo)

Authority officials said the land required for setting up the plant is being searched for. They added that a private agency will be roped in for collection of construction debris and converting it to tiles, bricks and other construction related material.

“The plant will cost nearly ₹15-20 crore and a private firm will be hired for the purpose. It will be tasked to collect debris and carry it in vehicles on a chargeable basis from the generator. The project is proposed for a period of nearly 15 years. This will help us get rid of debris and also combat rising pollution levels,” VN Singh, chief engineer, GDA, said.

The officials of the Ghaziabad municipal corporation have also prepared guidelines to get rid of construction and demolition waste.

“We have planned levying a fee of ₹260 per cubic metre for lifting construction debris from private construction sites. Our vehicles will carry the debris and the corporation will charge the amount from the waste generator,” Mohammad Moinuddin, chief engineer, Ghaziabad municipal corporation, said.

The construction debris and its disposal has been a major issue in the city.

Major construction projects are underway in various parts of Ghaziabad such as a housing project at Raj Nagar Extension, and infrastructure projects such as the 9.41km long metro project, proposed flyovers at Raj Nagar Extension and Vasundhara, a rail-over bridge at Dhobhighat, besides the upcoming Regional Rapid Transit System.

Unlike other rules addressing urban waste like solid, plastic and biomedical waste, the Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste Management Rules, 2016 were notified on March 29, 2016, by the ministry of environment, forest and climate change.

In compliance of the rules, the ‘Guidelines on environmental management of C&D Wastes (March, 2017)’ were prepared under the guidance of the committee for implementation of C&D Waste Management Rules, 2016.

“Despite rules and regulations and directions of the National Green Tribunal, the situation on the ground has not changed much with respect to pollution. Construction debris, if processed, is a much stronger substitute for soil and can be used effectively in infrastructure construction. Since there is no management of debris at present, the PM10 levels remain high in the city,” Akash Vashishtha, a city-based environmentalist, said.