Ludhiana civic body commissions construction and demolition waste plant.

Time of India

16-07-2025

Ludhiana: After years of delay, Ludhiana's civic body has finally made operational a long-awaited construction and demolition (C&D) waste processing plant aimed at curbing the city's growing problem of illegally dumped building debris.
The facility, located in Dhandhari, was inaugurated on Wednesday following an inspection by Municipal Corporation Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal and senior officials. The ₹7.39 crore (A$1.3 million) project was funded under the
Swachh Bharat Mission
and the Smart City Mission, and is now poised to handle up to 100 tonnes of construction waste per day. "This plant will help in improving cleanliness across the city," said Commissioner Dachalwal.
"We will recycle the waste into usable products like tiles, concrete blocks, and bricks." While construction of the plant and installation of machinery were completed a month ago, its launch was delayed due to the Ludhiana West bypoll, officials said.
Turning Rubble into Resource
Spread across 2.5 acres, the plant was built to address a widespread civic nuisance — piles of rubble, broken tiles, and debris left at random sites across the city, including green belts and footpaths.
Previous attempts by the Municipal Corporation to designate dumping points failed, prompting the need for a permanent solution. Now operational, the plant will receive all waste generated by civic body contractors, who will be required to deposit construction debris at the site and submit receipts along with their work bills.
Officials said the plant's contractor is responsible for processing the waste and converting it into reusable construction material.
This is expected to ease pressure on landfills, improve city aesthetics, and reduce illegal dumping.
Delayed, Costly Journey
Originally proposed five years ago after the National Green Tribunal ordered action on C&D waste, the project was initially budgeted at ₹2.69 crore. However, work stalled after authorities discovered the proposed site was a dumpsite requiring structural work, including foundation pillars and debris removal.
These complications drove costs up to ₹7.58 crore before the project was reassigned to the Swachh Bharat Mission.
The C&D facility is the third major waste-related project taken up by the Municipal Corporation in five years, following a modern slaughterhouse and carcass disposal plant. However, both previous facilities were underutilised and labelled as "white elephants," raising concerns about whether the new plant will meet its intended purpose. Dachalwal emphasised the need for public cooperation in making the initiative a success.
"We urge residents to support our solid waste management efforts," he said.
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