National Conference on ‘Interpreting Good Practices to Drive Clean Air Action Under NCAP’ - 29th March 2025

Centre for Science and Environment organized a national conference on “Interpreting Good Practices to Drive Clean Air Action Under NCAP” at Juniper Hall, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi on May 29, 2025. The event brought together more than 85 participants which majorly included government officials and sectoral experts.

The habitat team conducted a session on ‘Circular economy for clean air: Construction and Demolition Waste’. The session featured four panellists, Pradeep Khandelwal (Retd. Chief Engineer, Municipal Corporation of Delhi), Sandeep Srivastava (Associate Professor, MNIT Jaipur), Narinder Pal Sharma (Chief Engineer, Punjab PWD B&R, Technical Advisor to Punjab Infrastructure Development Board and the Joint Secretary, Punjab Road and Bridge Development Board, Former Chief Engineer, Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh) and Bejawada Raghuram (Project Director, Soma Srinivas Reddy Engineers & Contractors, Hyderabad).

Mr. Rajneesh Sareen, Programme Director Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) started the proceedings with a presentation on the subject of ‘Circular economy for clean air: Construction and Demolition Waste’. He set the context by highlighting the need for stronger policies promoting a circular economy considering rapid urbanisation. He discussed findings from various source apportionment studies that highlight how the construction sector and related dust sources can contribute up to 42 percent of PM10 emissions in certain cities. He also outlined strategies to mitigate these emissions and control dust pollution effectively. He further discussed the environmental concerns tied to C&D waste and outlined an ideal ecosystem for its management, including dust control measures and various successful practices across cities. Additionally, he highlighted the best practices covered by CSE in the publication ‘Driving Clean Air Action Under NCAP’ which included cases of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporations attempt at curbing illegal dumping through third-party engagement, Hyderabad’s decentralised plant model, dust mitigation in linear infrastructure projects by NCRTC and DMRC, in-plant dust control in Noida, and IEC activities in Chandigarh.  

During the panel discussion, Mr. Pradeep Khandelwal shared insights into Delhi’s pioneering role and the journey it undertook to establish a robust C&D waste management system, including setting up the country’s first 500 TPD C&D waste processing plant. He elaborated on the various challenges encountered along the way and how they were systematically resolved. Today, Delhi boasts a processing capacity of 5,150 TPD—more than ten times the initial capacity. He also noted that the city’s recycling facilities have collectively processed over 100 million tonnes of C&D waste to date.

Mr. Sandeep Srivastav spoke on how the IS-383 code is the only code in India that defines the use of C&D waste recycle aggregates. He cited the examples from other countries where codes on C&D waste recycling aggregates allow for more substitution than Indian codes. He emphasised that dedicated codes for C&D recycled aggregates and the products made from them are needed to ensure their quality. This will increase the market’s confidence in them and improve their uptake.

Chandigarh C&D waste management system is a unique example as it is a state led initiative and completely run the government. Mr. Narinder Pal Sharma, talked about the C&D Waste Management Plant setup and discussed about different kinds of product manufactured in the C&D waste. These include Cement bricks, Kerb stone, Channels, benches etc. He gave insights about the economics and the operations of the recycling facility, and talked about how it has been able to produce profit with the correct ecosystem approach.

Mr. Bejawada Raghuram spoke about the various challenges and processes involved in setting up a C&D waste recycling facility. He highlighted how recycled materials are now being effectively used in the construction sector and emphasised the need for continuous innovation to ensure that all by-products from recycling plants are fully utilised. He stressed that maximising the use of these products is key to making recycling plants financially sustainable. Additionally, he underscored the importance of industry partnerships, noting that collaboration with the private sector is essential for scaling up operations and ensuring long-term profitability.