Residents have raised concern over ambiguities in the rules covering management of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, citing instances of unauthorised dumping, unofficial charges, and poor enforcement by officials.

Ram, a resident of Sholinganallur zone, said he first contacted 1913, where he was given the wireless number of the zonal office. The person who responded to the call told him that a fine would be collected and the debris removed, and directed him to call the Assistant Executive Engineer, who did not respond. “Later, a local conservancy worker offered to remove the waste for ₹600 unofficially. To avoid penalties, I asked my construction workers to move the debris on the premises. The same conservancy worker then offered to dispose of it for ₹1,000, though he was not part of the company authorised to handle C&D waste,” he said.

“Finally, after I paid him, the waste was removed — but instead of being taken to the designated C&D transfer site, it was dumped near a Chennai Metro Rail construction site,” Mr. Ram said.

Similar issues were flagged by locals of Kolathur zone, where they said the waste was dumped near Retteri lake instead of the designated spots. Another local said a new store on C.P. Ramaswamy Road, Chennai, had left building materials and construction waste dumped on the pavement for months, causing inconvenience to residents.

Standing Committee (Public Health) Chairperson G. Shanthakumari, announced that she would conduct an inspection to address ongoing issues related to C&D waste management. She plans to speak with the private firm responsible for C&D waste management to understand why these gaps have occurred.

Additionally, meetings will be held with officials from each of the three regions to discuss the matter further. Ms. Shanthakumari added that residents to report any C&D waste removal issues through the GCC app by contacting the appropriate authorities.

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has introduced new guidelines for the management of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, which took effect on April 21, 2025.

This mandated that C&D waste piles had to be cleared within seven days. “Inert waste (especially construction and demolition waste) lying un-transported for seven days (for small and bulk waste generators) or after the completion of work (for micro-generators) was to be removed by the GCC, and the cost of such removal was to be collected with penalty,” stated the Chennai Corporation’s ‘guidelines for construction and demolition waste management’.