**Executive Summary**
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) issued Statutory Direction No. 97 to strengthen dust mitigation measures from Construction and Demolition (C&D) activities across Delhi-NCR. It addresses the consistent contribution of C&D activities to particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) levels and takes note of the Environment (Construction and Demolition) Waste Management Rules, 2025, effective from April 1, 2026. The rules emphasize environmentally sound waste management.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Collection and Storage Facilities:**
* Municipal Corporations/Development Authorities in Delhi-NCR must establish collection points, intermediate waste storage, and processing facilities, adhering to the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2025.
* At least one collection point should exist within a 5 km x 5 km grid area under their jurisdiction.
* **Building Plan Approvals:**
* Building plan approving authorities must obtain a declaration of estimated demolition waste quantity before granting approvals for projects with plot areas of 200 sq. meters or more, where demolition is required.
* For projects with plot areas of 200 sq. meters or more requiring demolition, project proponents must deposit demolition waste at designated facilities and obtain a receipt before construction or reconstruction.
* **Verification and Certification:**
* Agencies issuing Completion Certificates (CC) / Occupation Certificates (OC) must verify the demolition waste deposition receipt submitted by the project proponent before issuing CC/OC.
* **Waste Transportation and Disposal:**
* Municipal Corporations/Development Authorities must ensure environmentally sound transportation and disposal of C&D waste within their jurisdiction, following existing rules.
* **Effective Date:**
* The Directions come into force from April 1, 2026.
* **Web Portal and Tracking:**
* NCR State Governments and the Government of NCT of Delhi must establish an integrated web portal for geo-tagging waste collection points and storage/processing facilities, and GPS tracking of C&D waste transportation.
**Impact Analysis**
**Municipal Corporations / Development Authorities in Delhi-NCR**
* **Impact:** Required to establish and maintain C&D waste management infrastructure.
* **Action Required:** Establish collection points, storage, and processing facilities; ensure proper waste transportation and disposal.
**Building Plan Approving Authorities**
* **Impact:** Required to collect and verify information related to demolition waste.
* **Action Required:** Obtain a declaration of estimated demolition waste quantity, and verify demolition waste deposition receipts before granting approvals.
**Project Proponents (Developers/Builders)**
* **Impact:** Responsible for managing demolition waste and providing proof of proper disposal.
* **Action Required:** Deposit demolition waste at designated facilities, obtain a receipt, and provide it to relevant authorities.
**Issuing Agencies for Completion/Occupation Certificates**
* **Impact:** Responsible for the verification of demolition waste disposal
* **Action Required:** Verify receipts for deposition of demolition waste before issuing Certificates.
**NCR State Governments and the Government of NCT of Delhi**
* **Impact:** Need to coordinate for effective tracking of C&D Waste
* **Action Required:** Establish an integrated web portal for geo-tagging waste collection points and storage/processing facilities, and GPS tracking of C&D waste transportation.
Key Entities Referenced
Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM): The issuing authority for the Statutory Direction, responsible for managing air quality in the National Capital Region and surrounding areas.
Statutory Direction No. 97: The directive issued by CAQM to strengthen dust mitigation measures in construction and demolition projects.
Environment (Construction and Demolition) Waste Management Rules, 2025: The waste management rules referenced in the directive, aiming to manage construction and demolition waste effectively.
Delhi-NCR: The geographical area to which the Statutory Direction applies.
Municipal Corporations / Development Authorities: The entities responsible for implementing the measures outlined in the Statutory Direction within their respective jurisdictions.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
CAQM Issues Statutory Direction to Strengthen
Dust Mitigation in Construction and Demolition
Projects across Delhi-NCR
Posted On: 20 FEB 2026 7:55PM by PIB Delhi
In order to curb dust pollution from construction and demolition (C&D) activities in the National Capital
Region (NCR), the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) today
issued Statutory Direction No. 97 for strengthening dust mitigation measures and streamlining the
management of demolition waste in the region.
The Commission observed that dust generated from C&D activities continues to be a consistent
contributor to elevated levels of particulate matter (PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅) in the ambient air of the region.
Despite existing statutory directions and guidelines, inspections carried out by State Pollution Control
Boards (SPCBs), the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), and the Commission’s flying squads
have revealed gaps in compliance, particularly in the handling and transportation of construction material
and demolition debris.
Statutory Direction No. 97 also takes note of the newly notified Environment (Construction and
Demolition) Waste Management Rules, 2025, which will come into force from April 1, 2026. These Rules
place emphasis on environmentally sound waste management, circular economy principles, extended
producer responsibility and strengthened compliance mechanisms.
The Commission noted that large-scale construction and demolition activities are currently underway in
major cities of Delhi-NCR and have a significant contribution to the overall PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅ load. In this
context, Municipal Bodies and Development Authorities need to be better equipped to supervise and
monitor dust abatement from such activities. While project proponents are responsible for managing
demolition waste in a responsible manner before commencing construction, Municipal Bodies and
Authorities are required to put in place mechanisms to facilitate scientific management of demolition
waste.
Accordingly, to develop a robust system for effective management of demolition waste in major cities of
Delhi-NCR having Municipal Corporations (including New Delhi Municipal Council) and/or
Development Authorities, the Commission has directed the following:
· Municipal Corporations / Development Authorities in Delhi-NCR shall ensure establishment of
collection points, intermediate waste storage facilities and processing facilities in accordance with the
provisions of Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2025 in such a manner that there is
at least one collection point within a grid of 5 km x 5 km area under their jurisdiction;
· The Building Plan approving authorities in the concerned cities shall take a declaration of
estimated quantity of demolition waste to be generated before granting the approval of building plan, in all
the cases of projects with plot area equal to or more than 200 sq. meters, where demolition is required to
be carried out prior to construction or re-construction;· Municipal Corporations / Development Authorities shall ensure that in all the cases of projects
with plot area equal to or more than 200 sq. meters, where demolition is required to be carried out, the
project proponent, prior to taking up construction or re-construction, shall deposit the demolition waste at
any designated collection point or storage / processing facility and obtain the receipt for the same;
· All agencies responsible for issuing Completion Certificate (CC) / Occupation Certificate (OC) in
the concerned cities shall verify the receipt of deposition of demolition waste submitted by the project
proponent, prior to issuance of CC / OC;
· Municipal Corporations / Development Authorities shall ensure transportation and disposal of the
construction & demolition waste within their jurisdiction in an environmentally sound manner in
accordance with the extant Rules;
· These Directions shall come into force w.e.f. 1st April, 2026.
Further, the NCR State Governments and the Government of NCT of Delhi have been directed to ensure
the establishment of an integrated web portal, geo-tagging of waste collection points and storage or
processing facilities, and GPS tracking of transportation of construction and demolition waste to facilitate
effective implementation of the Commission’s Directions.
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