YUVA CIDCO - Debris To Development

The pace of new development in Mumbai, and indeed across all of India, is staggering. The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) estimates that each day in Mumbai, construction generates more than 2000 tonnes of waste - this figure is growing rapidly. The MCGM reports that within a decade, Mumbais landfills will reach their capacity.

In a city starved for space, finding socially and ecologically responsible waste dumping grounds is next to impossible. If we do not adopt recycling practices, future dumping will likely occur in Mumbais mangroves, the citys last remaining uninhabited low-lands, and other ecologically sensitive areas. Dumping in mangroves destroys their beauty and biodiversity. Moreover, such dumping decreases the citys stormwater drainage capacity, leading to flooding, and eliminates the protection mangroves provide against storm surges and tsunamis.

In addition to the generation of waste, the demand for many common construction materials negatively impacts our environment. The production of kiln fired clay bricks is especially harmful. Construction in Mumbai uses 18 lakhs of clay bricks every day. These bricks are made of baked topsoil, mined from the prime agricultural lands surrounding the city. The removal of topsoil leads to severe soil erosion, and devastates these lands agricultural potential. Furthermore, brick kilns are typically fed with very dirty fuels, such as coal or old tires. Brick kilns contribute greatly to air pollution where they operate and produce relatively large emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Producing virgin aggregate concrete also incurs environmental effects it requires the mining of sand and aggregates that degrades the landscape.

For India to shift towards sustainable, healthy development, we must find construction solutions that do not degrade our ecosystems. Debris recycling is one such solution: it makes use of waste that would otherwise be dumped in landfills, and lessens the demand for environmentally unsound building materials.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• YUVA
• CIDCO
• CYBC
• India
• Debris to Development
• Mumbai
• Navi Mumbai
• Rooftops Canada
• Recycling
• Building Materials
• concrete bricks
• blocks
• street pavers
• construction-grade sand