Construction and demolition waste is choking Bengaluru’s lungs; experts cry for reforms

"This is not just Karnataka's growing problem, it is prevalent across the country," Ashish Vashisht, a lawyer and National Green Tribunal activist, said. The damage it does to the environment is equivalent to that wrought by plastic or other forms of waste, he added.

It's soil, what is the big deal?

Though we perceive waste as something that immediately affects the environment, C&D waste slowly degrades the ecological balance over time. While heavy metals can seep into groundwater, the most serious impact can be found in the waste discarded inside urban areas.

TV Ramachandra, a scientist at the Indian Institute of Science (IISC), said, "Most of the non-renewable C&D waste dumped inside the city clogs the drainage system, including the storm-water drains, and increases the possibility of flooding. Others slowly encroach into the wetlands and lakes."

In 2016, India woke up to the nuisance that C&D waste produces. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) passed a notification for proper handling and recycling of C&D waste. The Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules by the CPCB mandates every state to set up C&D waste recycling plants in all cities with population of more than 10 lakh.

However, Ramachandra says six years since the central notification, several states are far from implementing the rules. An analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment says India manages to recover and recycle only about 1 per cent of its C&D waste. By 2017, 53 cities were expected to set up recycling facilities to recover material from waste; only 13 cities have done it to date, the report adds.

C&D waste illegally dumped across Bengaluru. (Credits: Balaji)

The curious case of Bengaluru C&D waste

A report accessed by Moneycontrol shows Bengaluru produces 2,500 metric tonnes of waste per day. However, only 200 tonnes are collected every day. Of that, 90 tonnes are processed at the recycling plant — that makes almost 50 percent of the total C&D waste collected every day and around 3 percent of the C&D waste generated in the city.

Rajesh K, co-owner of one of the two C&D recycling plants in Bengaluru, said, "On average, we get around 200 tonnes of C&D waste per day. That is less than 20 percent of the amount of waste generated in the city."

Researchers say the reason could be the ineffective way of implementing the policies. Most builders appoint local contractors to carry the C&D waste to the recycling plants on tractors or lorries. However, the contractors dump them illegally in nearby fields, roadsides or lake beds, pointed out the researchers.

Dr Harish Kumar, Special Commissioner, BBMP, said the urban local body can collect the C&D dropped by people at the designated location in the city. And every few weeks, BBMP can transport this to the recycling plants. However, he added, for mega projects, the generator will be responsible to transport the waste to designated recycling plants.

However, Ashish says this is a violation of the rules CPCB had notified. He quotes, "(Every local body) shall make arrangements and place appropriate containers for collection of waste and shall remove at regular intervals or when they are filled, either through own resources or by appointing private operators."

Additionally, a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India states, "In accordance with the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) guidelines, debris shall be removed within 48 hours from the place of construction by urban local bodies (ULBs), by engaging a debris contractor and transporting to a place designated by the ULB for its disposal, preferably an abandoned quarry away from the city/town with prior authorisation from KSPCB."

Srinivasulu, who goes by one name, Member Secretary of KSPCB, said, "The change should come from local bodies like BBMP, and they should come up with an action plan. However, we have not penalised anyone to date."

Additionally, an official from KSPCB who did not want to be named, said the regulatory body has no data on the amount of C&D waste being produced or recycled in Bengaluru.

Since 2019, the total number of penalties BBMP has issued for illegal dumping of C&D waste.

Laws are in place, but no awareness

At least 10 local demolishers Moneycontrol spoke to said they never transport their C&D waste to the recycling plants.

One of the demolishers, who has undertaken significant projects in the city, said they dump waste in "private properties" or on the outskirts of the city, especially in landfills.

At least three of the demolishers did not know about the environmental damage C&D waste causes or the recycling plants present in Bengaluru. And, at least one claimed they have worked with BBMP to transport the waste to the landfills.

One of the demolishers claimed they dump the waste in abandoned quarries in Harohalli, next to Bannerghatta Road in south Bengaluru. He said, "Several contractors dump wherever they can, especially at midnight. However, I make sure to dump in the designated quarries only."

Rahul Khera, a solid waste management expert, said, "The whole point of bringing up C&D waste management rules was to control illegal dumping. When we dump waste in abandoned quarries, it changes the land ecology and stops water from seeping into the groundwater level."

Government bodies acknowledge the problem

Kumar said BBMP has only recently identified C&D waste, such as soil, as a major source of pollution. “We already have rules in place and within three months, we will streamline the process. We are already planning on setting up more recycling plants. We have released tenders for acquiring 20 acres of land in the outskirts of Bengaluru,” he added.

Colonel Rajbir Singh, Chief Marshal, BBMP, said that from 2019 the local bodies have penalised those indulging in illegal dumping of C&D waste; it has collected Rs 11,71,500 in penalties since then. However, BBMP added that no builder has been penalised to date.

As BBMP suggests, the core problem lies in the transportation of the waste. Rajesh said, "If builders can carry truckloads of construction materials, why can't they send these back to the recycling plants?"

The way forward

However, experts argue the process can be streamlined further. "This does not work well with decentralised processes, we need to come up with a centralised one," Rahul added. Giving an example of Gurugram, he said, in 2020, the municipal corporation had come up with a successful model to streamline the process. Rahul said the local body had appointed a private contractor, Pragati Al Natural Resources, to specifically collect the C&D waste and take it to the recycling plants. Reports suggest the local bodies had cleared over 1.25 lakh tonnes of C&D waste in 2020, the highest in the last five years.

Ramachandra said that currently, several technologies like GPS tracking have made it easy to manage the movement of C&D waste in a hassle-free way. "The government needs to step up its efforts and treat this issue like an emergency," he added.

A report prepared by a group of scientists a few years back had concluded that more than 90 percent of the C&D waste can be recycled. H Hemanth Kumar, Executive Secretary I/C, Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology, said, "We have the technologies in place. We can easily manufacture industry-grade recycled materials from the waste.

However, the market lacks entrepreneurial possibilities to make use of the opportunities."

Dr SN Ullas, a former scientist at IISC, recently began his entrepreneurial journey in this direction. He set up Verdant Building Alternatives to convert C&D waste to construction materials like bricks, sand, etc. "Recycling C&D waste is extremely cost-effective. The raw material is available right here; we do not have to do special activities like mining, etc.," he added. Though the strength of recycled materials plays an important part, Ullas said that recycled products have several applications in the real estate sector.

The only challenge Ullas faces is acquiring land close to the city to set up his factory. "We are planning to collaborate with BBMP so that we can construct a recycling plant right in the designated waste dumping places and recycle the materials on-site," he added.

Additionally, Sandeep and Ramachandra believe apart from penalising, the state government should come up with special policy incentives, subsidies or tax breaks for the waste generators. “Waste is generated by the growing real estate sector in India. A policy change is crucial to control the menace,” they added.