NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has directed all the states to use plastic waste for the construction of national highways and to ask reputed institutes like IITs to study the performance of the roads constructed with waste plastic.
MORTH has also issued a direction to all states to use bituminous mixes with the waste plastic in at least a 10 km stretch as a pilot project.
“It has been decided that in each state/UT, bituminous mixes with the waste plastic may be used in at least a stretch 10 km as pilot project,” said the order.
It further said that in order to study the performance of these roads, Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) reputed engineering colleges like IITs/NITs/Government Engineering colleges may also be engaged so that the efficiency of the system can be confirmed before making it mandatory in the contracts.
Earlier, bituminous mixes with waste plastic was the default mode for periodic renewal, with the hot mixes within a 50 km periphery of urban areas having a population of over five lakh.
“All the agencies are requested to take measures for implementation of the same and send the details identified stretches to be constructed with waste plastic to the Chief Engineer,” said the ministry.
It further said that the feedback on the performance of the stretches constructed with waste plastic may also be sent to the Chief Engineer with a 6-month interval. State agencies have been asked to send an action taken report to the ministry.