Building on the success of a pilot program that utilized segregated solid waste from sanitary landfill sites for highway construction, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is gearing up to implement a national policy for a systematic approach to using urban waste in road construction and environmentally responsible garbage disposal.
The primary objectives of this initiative go beyond just road construction. They encompass reducing environmental pollution and safeguarding public health. Additionally, the plan seeks to reclaim approximately 10 hectares of land that has become unproductive due to waste accumulation, scattered across various states. Nitin Gadkari, the Minister for Road Transport and Highways, revealed that the policy is in its final stages, with the necessary details already identified through consultations with stakeholders, other ministries, and municipal agencies in different states.
The process involves segregating the waste by removing materials like plastic, glass, and metals, after which the residual waste will be employed in road construction. This approach is particularly beneficial in areas where soil extraction isn’t feasible due to environmental concerns or where aggregates like gravel, crushed stone, and sand present challenges that can be addressed through soil stabilization. Gadkari emphasized the multiple advantages of utilizing waste in road construction and the environmental damage that waste accumulation causes on approximately 10 hectares of land.
The ministry has experimented with the use of inert material from municipal solid waste in road construction within projects such as the Dholera project in Ahmedabad, the initial segment of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, and Urban Extension Road II in Delhi. The policy also addresses crucial matters such as providing incentives to municipal corporations or councils for supplying solid waste and investing in segregation facilities.
Furthermore, the ministry is exploring the possibility of a policy that encourages the use of recycled wastewater and the incorporation of plastic and old tires in bitumen for road construction. The ministry anticipates that this policy will boost the demand for and consumption of solid waste, similar to the transformation seen with fly ash usage. Initially, the concept of utilizing coal ash had few takers, but the situation has evolved, and fly ash has become less readily available.
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