In a rapidly urbanising India, the construction sector is emerging as a significant contributor to air pollution as well as a massive consumer of material resources. India’s resource extraction rate stands at 1,580 tonne per acre compared to the world average of 450 t/acre.

The National Clean Air Programme mandates that the 131 non-attainment cities in India must reduce their particulate pollution by 40 per cent by 2026. Construction and demolition (C&D) waste management has, therefore, become integral to all efforts to cap pollution levels.

This CSE review shows that most cities lack institutional preparedness to carry out systematic and scientific management of C&D waste. Pace of adoption of the C&D Waste Management Rules, 2016 is slow, and there are gaps in implementation. Strong guidance is needed to deepen understanding of the system design and strategies for implementation.