New Delhi: Since October, 52,000 tonnes of debris have been deposited at construction and demolition (C&D) waste collection points, which has resulted in a “38 per cent reduction” in illegal dumping during October-November period, according to the city’s municipal corporation. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) early in February had said that it was in the process of establishing 100 debris collection points in the national capital to mitigate pollution. The MCD said in a statement on Wednesday (February 28),
In order to curb air pollution and tackle rising construction and demolition (C&D) waste in Delhi, the municipal corporation, in collaboration with the Air Pollution Action Group (A-PAG), has taken proactive initiatives. The focus is on identifying key C&D waste collection points, curbing illegal dumping, and educating citizens on responsible waste disposal.
While 35 such points are already operational in various zones, locations have been identified for another 49. The MCD claimed in the statement,
Since October (2023), 52,000 tonnes of debris have been collected at these collection stores, resulting in a noteworthy 38 per cent reduction in illegal dumping from October to November.
New collection points are being established at Narela, Shahdara (North), Shahdara (South) and Rohini zones to cater to growing waste disposal needs, it said.
To boost awareness, information on C&D waste collection sites is available on the MCD 311 App and the MCD website. Citizen engagement is a priority, with 213 meetings held with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and 180 waste transporters trained for compliance, officials said.
In addition to these initiatives, citizens are vital contributors to the success of Delhi’s C&D waste management system. Citizens are urged to deposit non-bulk C&D waste, amounting to less than 20 tonnes per day (TPD), at designated collection stores, the MCD said.
Bulk waste, exceeding 20 TPD or part of a project totalling 300 tonnes, should be directed straight to the designated C&D plants, the statement said.
Also Read: Country’s Cleanest City Indore Spends Rs 200 Crore Per Year On Waste Management
They must adhere to C&D rules, follow safety measures, and ensure no construction and demolition waste is “left uncovered or without necessary safeguards,” it added.
The emphasis on citizens’ participation, awareness, and establishment of accessible collection points marks a “positive shift” towards sustainable waste management practices in the city, the civic body said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which in its Season 10 is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In a world post COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental well-being, self-care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
