Bengaluru civic body yet to pass resolution on construction waste plant
Thousands of tonnes of construction and demolition (CND) waste that Bengaluru generates every day clogs lakes and stormwater drains (SWD). But a resolution that could potentially end this problem continues to languish in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) council. Two years ago, the Palike floated tenders for the construction and operation of a CND waste processing plant on 10 acres of land in Kannur, north Bengaluru. While there was zero participation initially, a bid from private company Rock Crystals was finally approved in June last year. More than a year later, the resolution paving the way for setting up of the plant has still not been passed by the BBMP council, despite having been listed several times. Terming the indiscriminate dumping of construction debris one of the biggest problems the city is facing, solid waste management expert NS Ramakanth said, “Currently, debris is being dumped on empty plots on the city’s outskirts and in lakes. Ideally, every zone should have a plant for dumping and processing of such waste, which shouldn’t be mixed with municipal solid waste. Apart from real estate developers, several public utilities engaged in infrastructure activities are also responsible for generation of this waste.” Rock Crystals is already operating its own plant in Chikkajala near the Kempegowda International Airport, and despite having a capacity of 365,000 tonnes annually, it manages to process 26,000 tonnes of CND waste. It is recycled into sand and construction gravel, and then sold to firms that use it to fix tiles and make concrete blocks.
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