A business establishment in the Malleshwaram area recently closed its doors to the public, after which the building was demolished to make way for a new enterprise.According to the Solid Waste Management Rule 2016 by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), the new enterprise was supposed to transport all Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste generated in the process to C&D processing plants in Chikkajala and Kannur.
However, the guidelines for C&D waste processing were ignored by the generator. Upon receiving this information, Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) sent three notices to the enterprise.
The final notice was issued on March 27, stating, “Upon several intimations through notices, no serious compliance was observed. Hence, it is being recommended to KSPCB for further necessary action in accordance with the provision of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986…”
The facility manager of C&D processing plants in Chikkajala and Kannur stated that no C&D waste was ever received from the project site. “Our records show no communication or inquiry from this business regarding C&D waste disposal.
We have not received their waste through any other channels too,” said Rajesh Korah, co-owner of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) designated processing plants in Chikkajala and Kannur, with a capacity of 1750 MT/day.
Korah also mentioned that there has been no increase in the amount of C&D at his facilities despite many infrastructure projects being undertaken in Bengaluru. Between April 2023 and March 2024, Korah received 18,254 tons of C&D waste at the Chikkajala facility and 45,480 tons at the Kannur facility. “We had received a similar waste load in 2022-23 as well,” he added.
These two plants are the designated sites for the disposal of C&D waste generated within the jurisdiction of BBMP, and waste generators are supposed to dispose of their waste at these facilities by furnishing a copy of the approved C&D waste management plan, followed by a notified service charge of Rs 134 per metric tonne.
Solid Waste Management experts say that despite the city’s numerous ongoing infrastructure projects and other development activities, nearly 60,000 tonnes reaching processing units implies that a significant portion of this waste is being dumped illegally.
“These projects are being executed by large infrastructure companies such as CPWD, BMRCL, and BIAL. Not just that, a lot of demolition has happened across technology parks in the city in recent times.
These activities are bound to generate a lot of C&D waste material. However, the amount that Rock Crystal is receiving only goes to show that none of the developers and contractors is handling their C&D waste responsibly,” said a city-based SWM expert on the condition of anonymity.
They say it is ironic that C&D waste generators are not complying with rules despite multiple notices being sent by the civic agency. “Improper management and disposal of C&D is one of the main reasons behind the city flooding during monsoon.
Just sending notices to defaulters does not seem to be helping the cause. It is time that all agencies join hands to curb this menace. Vehicles carrying C&D waste should be seized by traffic police or police departments. Enforcement has to happen from every possible direction.
BBMP should form an exclusive team of marshals to track C&D waste and penalise the defaulters,” the expert emphasised.
