At a time when plastic has become a menace for authorities in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, the Prisons Department has come up with a project to convert plastic waste into bitumen substitute. A proposal to manufacture the construction material at the Poojappura Central Jail has been sent to the Home Department for approval. The bitumen substitute will be made from plastic waste accumulated in Thiruvananthapuram.
“The new project requires Rs 25 lakh. If the government approves and funds the proposal, we will lay a 13-km road in the Poojappura Central Jail. In the next phase, we will supply the material to contractors for road construction. Some roads in the state are made using the material. These roads last for 25 years and potholes will not form even in the rainy season,” said ADGP (Prisons Department) Alexander Jacob.
Similarly, the Prisons Department is also planning to upgrade the Ernakulam District Jail to a Central Jail. “We have asked permission from the government in this regard. The people convicted in Kochi have to be taken to Poojappura, which is around 250 km away. Otherwise, they have to be admitted to the Viyyur Jail, which is situated 80 km away from Kochi.
As the High Court, the CBI Court and the NIA Court are located in Kochi, a Central Jail is required here,” said an official with the Prisons Department.