The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has made registration on its Mumbai Construction and Demolition Debris Control and Tracking System mandatory for agencies handling construction, demolition and excavation waste, with a Rs 25,000 penalty for violations. The new rules require debris-carrying vehicles to use a Vehicle Tracking and Monitoring System, or VTMS, and are intended to prevent illegal dumping across the city.
The municipal corporation said developers, contractors, government agencies, transporters, and processing or recycling entities must register on the system within 15 days of the publication of its public notice. They must also submit a prescribed plan for the disposal of the debris they generate or transport.
Under the rules, waste generated from construction and demolition must be kept separate from material excavated during earthwork. The two categories must be transported independently, according to the municipal directions. Developers and other project agencies have also been instructed to appoint only registered and authorised transporters for moving the material.
Every vehicle used to transport construction and demolition debris must be fitted with a VTMS through a service provider authorised by the municipal corporation. The tracking equipment must remain operational during transportation. Debris can be disposed of only at locations authorised by the civic body.
The rules come as Mumbai continues to see redevelopment projects, metro and infrastructure works, road concreting and building reconstruction. The municipal corporation estimates that these activities generate about 8,000 metric tonnes of construction, demolition and excavation material every day.
The civic body said debris had been dumped on roads or mixed with other waste, including at night. It also referred to instances in which the material was used to fill mangrove areas. The new tracking system is intended to establish greater control over the movement and disposal of the material from project sites to authorised destinations.
The municipal directions also require vehicles to be properly covered while carrying debris. This is intended to prevent material from spilling onto roads and to reduce dust-related pollution during transportation.
The compliance requirements apply across the chain involved in handling the material, from project owners and contractors to transporters and processing or recycling operators. The next formal step for affected entities is registration on the municipal system and submission of their disposal plans within the 15-day deadline set out in the public notice.
