Study of Construction and Demolition Waste Management in India

The construction industry constitutes 40-50% of India's capital expenditure on projects in sundry sectors such as highways, roads, bridges, railways, energy, airports, irrigations, residential etc. and is the second most immensely colossal industry after agriculture in India. As of 21st March 2017, the construction industry's contribution to India's GDP is 7.74%. Construction & demolition waste are the waste materials that are produced in the process of construction, renewal or demolition of residential or non-residential structures. The construction industry generates a huge amount of C&D waste which ends up in landfills disturbing the environment and ecological balance. In this paper the current scenario of India's C & D waste, waste management and the initiatives by the Government of India to curb the growing impact of environmental degradation is overviewed. This paper also highlights the sustainable waste management hierarchy so as to tackle this waste problem effectively.