MANAGING WASTE

Know how leading real estate developers are transforming waste management into a tool for cost-saving and long-term value creation.

- By Anil Ramakrishnan

India's construction-led development is witnessing a huge, government-anchored boom, with a major shift toward prefabricated buildings, smart technologies, and sustainable, green processes. As part of this push, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs recently notified the Environment (Construction and Demolition) Waste Management Rules, 2025, which will become effective on April 1, 2026, to tackle the most solemn side effect of the boom – construction waste. This is critical for a country which generates an estimated 15 crore to 50 crore tonnes of construction waste annually, with urban areas producing 1.60 lakh tonnes of municipal waste daily, as per government data.

This calls for good waste management practices by real estate developers, and that is what this feature focuses on. Let's delve into these practices across four key areas – waste generated during construction and development; waste in occupied assets and daily operations; handling of hazardous and regulated waste streams; and governance, technology, and environmental, social and governance (ESG)-related precautions.

Waste management must start right at the designing stage and continue even after the completion of property construction, believes Ashish Raheja, Managing Director and CEO, Raheja Universal, a leading real estate development company. “Material planning, minimising over-ordering and separating waste onsite are some of the crucial measures that can help in waste reduction. Moreover, working with approved recyclers and waste handlers ensures that materials such as debris, metals, wood, and packaging are disposed of in a manner that is compliant with local laws. While separating wet waste and dry waste and composting organic waste onsite help, creating a more structured and easier to use systems, educating residents and facility management staff on how these systems work, work well for the long term,” he stated.