Dumping of Malba

In India, dumping of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, or malba, is governed by the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016, which mandate that waste generators (households, businesses, etc.) segregate their C&D waste and deposit it at authorized processing facilities, not public areas, drains, or landfills. You are responsible for the collection, transportation, and disposal costs, which can be paid to the local municipal corporation. Illegal dumping is a punishable offense and can result in heavy fines. 

Key Rules and Responsibilities:

1. Waste Segregation: You must keep malba separate from general solid waste. 

2. Storage: Store the waste within your premises until it's collected. 

3. Authorized Disposal: Deposit the malba only at designated C&D waste processing facilities. 

4. No Illegal Dumping: Do not dump waste on roads, in public spaces, or near drains, as this causes obstruction and pollution. 

5. Payment of Charges: Pay the applicable collection, transportation, and disposal charges as notified by your local Urban Local Body (ULB). 

6. Penalties: Engaging in illegal dumping can lead to significant fines and other penal actions from authorities. 

How to Handle Your Malba:

#1 Segregate Your Waste

1. Get your construction workers to segregate waste on-site from the start. Allocate appropriate space on the site and lay out properly labeled bins or gunny bags for easy waste collection and disposal.

2. Be cautious of leftover paints and scraped off plaster as they might contain toxic elements such as VOCs or lead. Close the containers tightly to prevent vapours from leaking as they might cause irritation in the eyes, headache, dizziness, or nausea. Never pour any paint or paint waste down the drain. Since our sewage (largely untreated) and water connect to the same source – the river – the toxins in the paint eventually end up in our water streams too.

3. Segregate metals and sell them in the scrap market (your contractor would be a great person to do this). Steel, copper wires, aluminium, are recyclable and have a high resale value. Do the same with doors, windows, and furniture as well.

#2 Know Where The Waste is Disposed

If you are getting a renovation done, you are as per law the waste generator. As the waste generator, it is your duty to ensure that the Malba is disposed of properly. Inquire from your contractor about their waste disposal protocol. We often hear from contractors that – ‘Hum pahaadi pe phenk aayenge’ (we will throw it on the hill) or ‘Jahaan khaali zameen dikhegi wahaan phenk denge’ (we will throw it where we see an empty plot of land). Please know that that’s illegal. Ensure that your Malba is sent to a government-designated collection point or recycling plant. It also serves to educate the labour about best practices.

#3 Work with What you Have

Instead of wiping the slate clean, i.e. demolishing and rebuilding from scratch, explore if you can get creative with the existing elements of your house.  

‍Perhaps the old kitchen granite slab you were planning to renovate could be reused to accent some window sills? Perhaps your old furniture can be spruced up for that retro vibe?

‍Hire an architect or an interior designer and give them a brief that you want to preserve as much as possible – professionals love a good challenge.