Patna: The Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) has launched capacity-building efforts to ensure compliance with the Environment (Construction and Demolition) Waste Management Rules, 2025, notified by the Government of India and set to be enforced from April 1, 2026.
In a virtual training programme organised this week, 251 participants from key state departments and agencies — including Rural Works, Road Construction, Building Construction, Urban Development and Housing, Bihar Police Building Construction Limited, and local bodies — were briefed on provisions to curb air pollution and manage construction waste sustainably.
Air pollution remains a major challenge in Bihar, with particulate matter levels in cities such as Patna, Gaya and Muzaffarpur well above the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Officials stressed that strict adherence to the new rules, alongside effective implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), will be crucial to meeting targets under the National Clean Air Programme.
The new framework mandates measures such as regular water sprinkling, use of dust barriers and wind shields at sites, proper storage of building materials, and scientific segregation and recycling of construction and demolition waste. These steps are designed to minimise airborne dust and prevent uncontrolled dumping.
The 2025 rules also mark a shift towards a circular economy, with provisions for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), compulsory waste use mandates, digital monitoring through a centralised portal, and clearly defined responsibilities for waste generators, contractors, local bodies and regulators.
The BSPCB urged all stakeholders to align their policies and tendering processes with the new requirements, identify collection and recycling sites, register on the national waste management portal, and ensure timely monitoring and reporting. Officials emphasised that scientific waste management not only protects the environment but also offers opportunities for resource recovery, carbon reduction, and green employment.
