Construction projects that generate waste of 20 tonne or more on daily basis will have to set up a recycling plant where the waste will be converted into aggregates for other construction activities.
The Bengal chapter of Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India, the umbrella body of developers in Kolkata, has welcomed the proposal and agreed to implement it.
“Construction sites have to become environment-friendly and stop dumping waste. They have to set up a waste material recovery plant at the site and work towards zero net waste generation,” a KMC official said.
Construction waste includes head break concrete blocks of pile caps and broken tiles that are not biodegradable. Instead of disposing, they can be used for paving of driveways. The civic body will continue to lift waste from smaller projects but this waste will not be dumped in landfills. Instead, KMC is setting up a crushing unit to convert the waste into aggregates that can be used as raw material in construction activity.
KMC has taken a plot in Rajarhat to set up the construction waste recovery plant. It will have a capacity to handle around 500 tonnes of construction waste a day. The plant will crush the waste into aggregates that can then be mixed with concrete to pave roads. Around Rs 55 crore will be spent in the Rajarhat unit that will be handed over to a private firm to operate it for 10 years.
A similar plant has also been planned in Garden Reach to facilitate waste recovery and reuse from construction sites in south and south-west Kolkata. “We had a desperate search for land to set up construction waste recovery plants. Finally, we zeroed in on two plots. We hope to initiate the construction process soon,” said a KMC solid waste management department official.
Many building components and construction debris can be recycled. Concrete and rubble are often recycled into aggregate and concrete products. Wood can be recycled into engineered wood products. Metals like steel, copper and brass are also valuable resources to recycle.
Credai Bengal chairman Nandu Belani welcomed the move. “This will substantially reduce the pressure on landfills and also help us recover wealth from waste. Such activities are already under way in Indore and we will be fully supportive of its adoption in Kolkata,” he said.
