#EarthDay: Pune Set to Get The Best From Its Waste

The Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016, notified by the Centre last month, make it mandatory for waste-management authorities across the country to dispose of construction waste in a manner that it could be put to better use. Part of the Centre's Clean India Mission, these rules also make it mandatory for authorities to utilise 10-20 per cent of such material into government contracts.

Now, Maharashtra's cultural capital Pune is the first city to come up with guidelines to implement the rules. The Pune Municipal Authority (PMC) recently announced introducing a 'Best from Waste' policy, under which the civic authority will collect construction waste from developers' site and use this material for beautifying the city, by building bricks and decorative materials out of it.

PMC will appoint an agency to manage it; to avail of the facility, developers in the city will have to share their construction plan with the agency.

PropGuide takes a look at the likely impact of the civic authority's move on Pune:

• The character of the city: Pune is among the top-performing real estate markets in the country, and has seen a substantial increase in construction activity in the recent past. While this has led to growth in real estate scenario in the city, peripheries of the city and the riversides have become a dumping ground in the absence of a debris-disposal system. For a city that is counted among the cleanest in India, managing the waste – developers in Pune generate about 100-150 tonnes of debris each day – is of great importance. To maintain the true character of the city, it is important to save its air and water from hazardous construction waste.

• A disposal option for developers: Dumbing of construction waste has been a headache for developers, too. The city administration has banned dumping of waste in open spaces, riverbeds, canals and quarries and a fine of Rs 25,000 has been imposed on developers found doing so. The fact is that developers did not have much of a choice to responsibly dispose of the debris due to an absence of set dumping grounds. The PMC move would also bring cheer to developers, as they will get an opportunity to manage their waste responsibly and won't have to face penalties for using unauthorised grounds.

• Lower construction cost: PMC has proposed to give construction companies using the recycled material a five per cent rebate in development charges. This will ensure the recycled material is fully utilised. Also, this will bring down the construction cost for companies and, thereby, housing costs in the long run.

• Setting a great precedent: Pune is setting a great example by introducing a plan to not only manage its waste efficiently but to also put it to its best use. Besides helping beautify the city, famous for its cultural heritage, the move and its success will inspire civic authorities in other cities to follow suit.