The construction projects are on the rise with the government giving a constant boost to the construction sector in India by creating pipelines for infrastructural projects. While this perpetual churning of new and iconic construction projects is expected to put India on the map and strengthen its growth, it is bound to have some negative consequences on the other hand. Recently, there has been an increased emphasis on sustainable and environment-friendly construction practices. One such practice includes Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste management. 

C&D waste generated during the construction, preservation and demolition of various structures like bridges, roads, flyovers etc. C&D, when left without proper management, contributes to environmental degradation. This waste is omnipresent and is left unmanaged by the roadside, in the landfills or water bodies.

It is a fact that untreated C&D waste is toxic. Many steps have also been laid down to address the issue like Construction and Demolition Waste Rules and Regulations of 2016. These rules outline the duties and responsibilities of stakeholders like waste generators, local authorities, utility service providers and their contractors etc. Even Swachh Bharat Mission underpins the importance of C& D waste management, but India continues to lag significantly.

The built-up area in 2030 is expected to stand at 104 billion sq ft which is almost five times of what the built-up area was in 2005. With the increase in the built-up area, the Construction & Demolition waste will increase parallelly without a doubt.

The problem is not just with proper disposal of the waste it lies with the fact that India does not even have any estimates for C&D waste. Keeping in mind that we have no organised method of determining the gravity of the situation the problem becomes even more terrifying. According to a study by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), India manages to recover and recycle only one per cent of its C&D waste.