Future of Single Use Plastics – Conflict between Policy and Practices

India's Rapidly-Growing Construction

Industry Set To Become Third-Largest
Globally, By 2025: Hardeep Singh Puri
BHUVAN KRISHNA
Feb 20, 2024, 04:46 PM | Updated 04:46 PM IST

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. (X)

Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri, stated on

Monday (19 February) that India's rapidly-growing construction industry
is on track to become the third-largest globally by 2025.
Addressing the National Workshop on recent developments with recycling
and use of construction and demolition (C&D) waste in the construction
sector, Puri highlighted that the construction industry is the second-
largest employer in the country, with linkages across 250 sectors of the
economy.

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Future of Single Use Plastics – Conflict between Policy and Practices

He has emphasised the government's commitment to constructing a built

environment at a rapid pace.
Citing urbanisation demands, Puri noted that India needs to add about
700-900 million sqm of commercial and residential spaces annually, by
2030, to meet these demands.
The workshop, organised by CPWD, in collaboration with SINTEF Norway,
provided a platform for stakeholders in the construction sector to discuss
promoting the use of C&D recycled items in construction for sustainable
development.
Union Minister Puri acknowledged the environmental concerns associated
with C&D waste and stressed the need for efficient solutions to manage
the waste generated by increasing construction activity.
He also highlighted that the construction industry in India generates
about 150-500 million tonnes of C&D waste annually, posing challenges
such as unauthorised dumping and space constraints for disposal.
The Minister also highlighted the government's efforts towards
sustainable waste management, citing the significant increase in solid
waste processing — from 17 per cent in 2014 to over 77 per cent in 2024.
He further emphasised the importance of effective disposal of C&D waste
and the government's comprehensive guidelines for the same.
Puri praised the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) for its
efforts in changing stakeholders' mindset towards C&D waste
management, urging stakeholders to collaborate with the government to
devise better strategies for the effective utilisation of C&D waste.