Council approves draft construction and debris waste management rules

Greater Chennai Corporation approves Draft Construction and Demolition Waste Management Guidelines, 2025, with penalties for violations and waste classification.

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) Council approved the Draft Construction and Demolition Waste Management Guidelines, 2025, during the meeting regarding the GCC Budget on Friday at the Ripon Buildings.

“The guidelines align with the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016, and utilise powers under Section 199 of the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Act, 2023,” the GCC said in the resolution.

The GCC covers 426 sq.km across 200 wards in 15 zones. About 6,150 tonnes of solid waste and 800 tonnes of construction and demolition waste are generated daily, and often dumped on roadsides, sidewalks, vacant plots, and burial grounds. The guidelines classify waste into — construction, demolition, and excavation.

The resolution said suggestions from the public, based on feedback received on the draft on February 16 and 17, also made it into the finalised regulations. These include contractor-led debris removal with tender-based selection by the Public Works Department, an online system to report debris encroachment and request transport services, penalties for violations, waste segregation and adoption of best practices from other cities, and launching an app for the sale of debris and advocating its use for infrastructure projects.

According to the GCC, failure to adhere to the guidelines or dumping waste without authorisation can result in penalties ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹25,000, depending on the scale and frequency of the offence.

Penalties proposed are based on models from Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Karnataka, depending on the severity, the civic body added.

According to the resolution, for small-scale violations — waste generated less than 1,000 kg — the disposal will be free of charge. If the volume of waste exceeds 20 tonnes per day, the fine is set at ₹2,500 per tonne, which includes expenses for equipment, such as earth movers, required for transportation and disposal. Additionally, a processing fee of ₹800 per tonne will be charged for handling and disposal.