Heavy Metal Contamination in Surface Water Bodies Through Construction and Demolition Waste: A Case Study of City of Lakes – Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India

Abstract

According to Chen et al., 2020, two billion tons of construction and demolition (C & D) wastes are produced each year globally. A report of CSE India, 2022, reveal the fact that out of 150 million tons of C & D waste annually generated in India, only 1% is treated in recycling capacity facilities. According to CPCB, 2017, Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, India, generates 50 tons of C & D waste per day. According to Construction and Demolition Waste Management rules 2016, waste generators shall ensure that there is no littering or deposition so as to prevent obstruction to the traffic or the public or drains. The fact is that apart from rules and regulations, a lot of C & D waste is disposed in water streams. A report of national Hindi newspaper Dainik Bhaskar dated July 16, 2019, reveals that 16 major points which have a lot of C & D wastes directly meet the water stream. Gao et al., 2015, quoted “high risk of heavy metal contamination through C & D waste depending on the source type of C&D wastes”. The present paper identifies heavy metal contamination zones through C & D waste in water streams of the City of Lakes Bhopal.