8 Oct 05:
The 49 page MCGM Construction and Demolition and De-Silting
Waste (Management and Disposal) Guidelines - September 2005 are
in the Cleanliness Section in
www.karmayog.org
. The direct link is
Suggestions have been received by the NGO Council from Bejoy
Davis, Almitra Patel, and Kisan Mehta. These along with those
recommended by the NGO Council Cleanliness Group in the Policy
Framework Guidelines are given below as recommendations to MCGM
to incorporate in the Guidelines.
Overall comment: The document developed is a
good document for category -1 and category -2 waste generators
and will at least regulate the disposal of debris, but not for
waste generators of housing societies and offices some more
control mechanism still needs to be developed.
1. PART E: Point 22, Role of MCGM
page 14 of 49.
Even after the waiver is approved the EE (Env.) of that Zone
should have to put on record where the disposal took
place and the waiver should not include the waste generator
using their own vehicles to cart the C&D waste.
2. Point 70, Dial-up Services
page 29 of 49
The token amount of fees is not mentioned. It should be
specified and should be linked to quantity by volume.
The document also needs to add a component of the penalties to
be charged to the individuals who would not pay the operators to
pick the waste created due to remodeling, renovation, repairs.
The document doesn't mention much about the specific issues of
collection in Slums. The collection can't be general and same
for the societies and slums because paying for disposal C&D
waste is going to be difficult. Non payment will end up in the
waste lying in the open areas and roads which even the licensed
operators are not going to pick up as the economics doesn't
work. How will this be monitored?
A suggestion is to have a bin for debris collection in the
areas where Datak vasti Yogana is in place so that it could be
monitored by the responsible CBO.
3. Annexure 1: Designated Disposal Sites
Page 30 of 49
The designated disposal sites viz. Hariyali village and Dahisar/Gorai
seem to come under no-development zone and Coastal regulation
Zones where under the regulations it clearly mentions no dumping
of debris is allowed. As per high court notification, even
dumping at Gorai has been discontinued, so how can it be
restarted? It is also not clear which part of Hariyali village
and which part of Dahisar/ Gorai are contemplated.
The disposal technique seems to be only dumping in low lying
areas which is not sustainable in the long run as not many low
lying areas are left in Mumbai. A suggestion is to look into the
disposal option in much broader way of creating more space at
the disposal locations by ensuring that the dumped waste is
recycled. Recycling Operators could recycle the C& D
waste at the disposal sites which will help to create more space
for future wastes and disposal sites never get exhausted.
Options are available for recycling.
The system mentioned in the document will only run if the end
disposal is managed properly otherwise the EE (Env) will find it
difficult to search for new spaces for disposal.
A suggestion is to create a small hill in the Mulund disposal
site where only C&D debris & silt to be put. This will
enable 25 years of C&D waste disposal to be undertaken.
Ultimately, this should be landscaped with grass, garden, trees,
etc. and be converted into a picnic spot.
A suggestion is that since Kanjur Marg is
a low lying marshy area, it will need to be raised at least 2-3
meters above highwater mark to comply with landfill conditions.
This can be an opportunity for disposal of clear debris
to raise the level sufficiently for accepting municipal waste.
4. Annexure -8: Specifications of typical containers to
be used for storing C & D waste page
38 of 49
Please consider the possibility of designating a special color
for all the vehicles carrying C&D waste so it becomes very
easy to differentiate. This will also help citizens to quickly
identify illegal waste dumpers, if any.
5. Permissions should be needed:
The system will work only if permissions are needed to be got
from MCGM but as per the section 342 the housing societies need
not get any permissions for their repairs then what is the
control mechanism by MCGM? Similarly for Shops and
Establishments.
6. Segregating C&D waste from earth :
The guidelines needs to ensure that the waste from
construction site and building repairs are not mixed with earth
as that renders the debris totally improper to use for
recycling and will just add to the load on the disposal sites.
7. Salvaging & Recycling of Debris:
MMRDA's MUIP has a unique feature ,the rocks excavated
from the widening of roads are taken to a site which breaks it
down into aggregates . These aggregates are then used in the
subgrade of the new roads which are done. The site
where the stone crusher plant has been set up is next to the
highway between Kandivali and Borivali close to Thakur complex
well in the vicinity of the residential area. A suggestion is to
have these kind of crushers at the disposal sites for large
quantity recycling, these disposal sites if equipped with these
crushers then the salvaging of debris is possible and will be
sustainable and also provide a long term solution for the MCGM.
Tenders could be floated for the conversion of debris to private
bodies who could work out all the possible ways to
market their products. MCGM should formulate a clause in
all the tenders that all their contractors should use more and
more environment friendly and recycled materials this will also
ensure the success of the debris disposal plans. All the
machinery is
available in the Indian Market right from crushers to
interlocking pavers making hydraulic machines.
MCGM road specifications should be mandated to favour
specified recycled aggregate for laying subgrade e.g. tiles,
marble, are ok; bricks and plaster are not.
If a developer wishes to salvage the waste produced in
situ, then smaller machines ( e.g. CIDCO -YUVA plant models )
are available which could convert the waste to useful products
like bricks and interlocking pavers. The machines will stay till
the time the construction is over then the machine could be
moved to another location this will ensure that no constant
plant is operational and any nuisance is created to the
residents in that vicinity.
A pilot project should be worked out and the location could
be the defunct pelletisation plant situated very close to the
Deonar dumping ground which is a MCGM property as there are
sheds which are already built for the pelletisation machinery.
The other location for pilot plant could be Gorai dumping
ground.
Depending on the change of the nature of debris ten years from
now as there are going to be more and more cessed buildings the
concrete recycling is a must e.g. in Toronto.
Recycling technologies should be explored.
8. Solutions: for disposal of silt
Silt should be disposed / utilised as landfill cover for garbage
or compost rejects. Vegetation should grow well on drain silt.
Drain silt should never be transported along with 'kooda' in the
same vehicle as this makes composting impossible at the
waste-processing and disposal point.
9. Collection of construction and demolition waste
From Report of the Supreme Court Committee on 'Solid Waste
Management in class 1 cities in India, 1999'
To facilitate the collection of small quantities of construction
and demolition waste generated in the city, suitable debris
banks to be created in, say 25 (ward-wise), different areas
throughout the city; and notified people to deposit
small quantities of construction and demolition waste.
Containers could be provided at such locations and small
collection charge levied for receiving such waste at such sites
and for its onward transportation. Rates may be prescribed for
such collection by the local body. Contracts could be given for
managing such sites.
YUVA / NGO Council is willing to identify such sites along with
BMC officials.
Generally speaking, the locations where C&D waste is being
illegally thrown currently are usually suitable locations to be
used as local debris banks, so these should be explored first.
Mangrove areas, water bodies, etc. are naturally to be not
considered.
Contacts:
