On October 9th, a press conference was held in Lhasa, Tibet, to unveil two significant regulations: the “Regulations on the Construction and Management of Sponge Cities in Lhasa” and the “Regulations on Construction Waste Management in Lhasa.”
During the event, Hou Jinghua, a key member of the Lhasa Municipal People’s Congress Standing Committee and Secretary-General, elaborated on the Sponge City initiative. He emphasized that the initiative seeks to tackle several urgent challenges, including the high risk of flash floods in the area, inefficiencies in sewage collection and treatment, and the necessity to enhance the sponge capabilities of local wetland water systems.
Turning to the Construction Waste Management Regulations, Hou pointed out that these new rules establish clear responsibilities for managing construction waste. The goal is to create a closed-loop system for waste disposal, focusing on reducing waste at its source and promoting recycling efforts. Moreover, the regulations introduce stricter penalties for the illegal handling of construction waste.
Both sets of regulations are scheduled to go into effect on November 1, 2024. The Sponge City Regulations place a primary obligation on construction units to ensure the quality of the sponge city infrastructure. These units are required to incorporate sponge city criteria into their tender documents and contracts related to surveying, design, construction, and supervision. All parties involved must comply with the relevant technical standards and regulations to guarantee the quality of the project. Additionally, completion reports for construction projects must include detailed accounts of the sponge city facilities, which cannot be utilized if they have not passed inspection or do not meet the required standards.
To address the issue of scattered construction waste, the Construction Waste Management Regulations mandate that debris from minor repairs of public facilities, storefronts, or residential renovations be sorted and placed in designated temporary storage areas. Community organizations and property management are tasked with designating these temporary sites and ensuring the timely removal of waste by licensed transport companies.
