Himachal shows the way, Haryana catches up on plastic road….Rajni Shaleen Chopra
As part of a pilot project, state will construct 2 km road using plastic waste
As part of a pilot project, state will construct 2 km road using plastic waste
The re-use of plastic waste in road construction, which helps in conservation of environment as well as leads to sturdier roads, is catching up in the northern region after a successful initiative by the Himachal Pradesh government.
Waste plastic material, including carry bags, are sorted, cleaned and shredded and then mixed with bitumen to be used in road construction. Experiments have shown that the use of plastic leads to less seepage and increases the longevity of the roads.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has advocated the re-use of plastic waste in road construction and has given detailed operational guidelines for the procedure. According to the board, plastic-coated bitumen roads display increased strength due to strong polymer-bitumen bonding, better resistance to rainwater and no formation of potholes.
The use of one tonne of waste plastic saves on the use of one tonne of bitumen, which results in substantial saving of money for construction of roads, according to experts.
The Haryana Public Works Department (Building and Roads) has now undertaken a pilot project of constructing two kilometres of road in the state using plastic waste. Engineer-in-Chief of PWD (B&R) Mahesh Kumar told The Indian Express that work on the two stretches was likely to be completed within a month. After familiarising its staff with the procedure and studying the challenges, by the end of the year plastic waste would be used for road construction all over Haryana, he added.
As part of the pilot project, two stretches of one kilometre each have been selected in Panchkula and Ambala districts in Panchkula district, it is a road stretch near Barwala while in Ambala district, it is a kilometre stretch on the Old Delhi road. These roads will be laid using plastic carry bags. Committees have been constituted in both these districts, under the chairmanship of the respective deputy commissioners.
The collection of the plastic waste will be organised by the deputy commissioners of these districts, said Kumar. The shredder is being installed at the departments mechanical workshop at Ambala.
The Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), New Delhi, has been engaged as the technical consultant for the pilot project. The institute has recommended use of plastic waste up to 10 per cent in road construction.
According to Kumar, approximately two tonnes of waste polybags are used in a kilometre of road construction.
Kumar said the reason why Haryana had not opted for use of plastic waste in road construction was because it was not yet approved by the Indian Road Congress. However, after studying its substantial benefits, the state has decided to go ahead with the process.