JAMMU: J&K Pollution Control Board conducted the first ever workshop on Construction and Demolition waste Management at Forest Information Centre, Jammu. Renowned Waste Management consultant and environmentalist Ajay Jain was the resource person for the workshop. The workshop was aimed at to highlight the regional concerns, responsibilities of Bulk waste generators and feasible technologies to process this waste to retrieve usable sand and gravels.
Chairman Pollution Control Board, Suresh Chugh, was the Chief Guest while Commissioner JMC, Pankaj Magotra, was the guest of honour on the occasion. Chairman inaugurated the workshop by releasing brochures on ‘Highlights of Guidelines on Construction &Demolition Waste Management Rules’ & ‘Responsibilities of Bulk Waste Generators under Solid Waste Management Rules’ published by J&K PCB, Jammu.
Chairman PCB appreciated the initiative taken up by Regional Director PCB, Jammu, Dr. Syed Nadeem Hussain to organize such workshop by ensuring the participation of all stakeholder departments and private construction agencies for effective implementation of the C&D waste management Rules in the U.T. He requested all the stakeholders to avoid dumping of C&D waste along roads and dump them in designated spaces for C&D waste. He emphasized that C&D waste management is at an infancy stage in J&K and PCB is keen to boost waste processing facilities including recycling facilities. He informed the gathering that JKPCB has started levying Environmental Compensation on the defaulters in line with the directions of the Hon’ble NGT.
Commissioner JMC ensured that JMC will take all requisite steps to identify suitable land for recycling of C&D waste within stipulated time period. He also ensured that public awareness and on-spot penalization shall also be geared up.
Member Secretary JKPCB, B.M. Sharma, apprised the participants of the overall C&D waste generation scenario in the country and the need to adopt integrated approach towards waste management in view of land constraint and lack of manpower. He stressed on the need to create awareness among all stakeholders including common man to adopt waste segregation and on-site processing so as to achieve “Zero Waste” target and minimize the need of landfill sites.
Recourse person Ajay Jain, who is also the waste management consultant for Indore city which has been awarded the Cleanest city of India award for the past three consecutive years under Swachh Bharat Mission, gave a detailed presentation on the responsibilities of Bulk Waste Generators and feasible technologies for processing of Construction and Demolition waste, drawing on his Indore experience.
The technical session was followed by an interactive cum brain storming session in which the participants shared their practical issues and discussed the ways to adopt management interventions to handle and process C&D Waste.
The workshop was also attended by B.M Sharma, Member Secretary, PCB, Dr. Syed Nadeem Hussain, Regional Director PCB, Jammu and various other officers of the stakeholder departments and private construction agencies. Officers and representatives of various departments like, JMC, Urban Local Bodies, ERA, PWD (R&B), NBCC, UEED, SMVDB, NHAI, & Private Construction Agencies like HCC, Gammon India, Navyuga, Age Patel, BCC , AFCONS etc. also attended the workshop.