India generates over 530 million tonnes of construction and demolition (C&D) waste annually and so far, the government has had no rules and regulations for its disposal. But all that is set to change with the government announcing the implementation of the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016. We list the top 10 ways these landmark regulations will help make a difference.

1. The new rules will cover projects generating C&D waste of up to 20 tonnes a day or 300 tonnes per project every month, effectively covering the bulk of waste-generating projects in the country.

2. When they submit their building plans for clearance, developers will also have to submit a comprehensive plan detailing how they will manage C&D waste generated in their project.

3. In case of any damage caused to the environment, developers will also have to submit a mitigation plan that lays out the steps they will take to mitigate the damage.

4. Every waste generator shall segregate construction and demolition waste and deposit it at the collection centre or hand it over to authorised processing facilities.

5. Local bodies will notify costs for the collection, transportation, processing and disposal of collected C&D waste. These costs will have to be borne by developers.

6. States and cities will have to allocate suitable sites for the storage, processing and recycling of C&D waste. Land use for these sites cannot be changed.

7. Cities with a population over 1 million will commission processing and disposal facilities within 18 months from the date of final notification of these rules

8. Cities with a population of 0.5 to 1 million and those with a population of less than 0.5 million will be given 2 to 3 years to setup these facilities.

9. Cities will have to mandatorily reuse 20% of C&D waste in other construction projects. Quarterly review meetings will be held with states and local bodies to ensure compliance.

10. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) will prepare practices and standards for products made from C&D waste, while the government will frame new rules to punish violators.

Reporter: Oineetom Ojha, NDTV
Web Editor: Nikhil Sivadas, NDTV