LSG adds indigenous goods to mix, rural road upkeep to cost less

Dept to develop new set of standard specifications to reduce cost and cover more areas
A road at Paivalike grama panchayat in Kasaragod being paved with laterite stone
A road at Paivalike grama panchayat in Kasaragod being paved with laterite stone

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala’s rural roads are poised for a cost-effective, and indigenous development and upkeep. The local self-government department’s engineering wing has initiated steps to develop a new standard specification (SS), to maintain its roads.

The discussions on the new SS will begin with a workshop on infrastructure development to be opened by LSG Minister M B Rajesh in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday. It will be the first of a series of brainstorming sessions to formulate the new SS. The LSG department owns 2.03 lakh kilometres of roads whereas the public works department has only about 30,000km. Since 2016, repair and development works of LSG department roads have been done as per the SS developed by the Union Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD).

The proposed SS will have cost-effective methods for road construction using locally available materials. Climatic and geographical conditions will be given priorities Cost reduction will help the department execute more works, thereby benefiting more areas and people, said LSGD chief engineer Johnson K.

“The existing SS has a single plan for the whole of the state. Our idea is to make customised plans for specific regions like Kuttanad where additional precautions are to be taken against frequent waterlogging. Likewise, the high ranges would get a different treatment. Cost-effective and locally available materials of sufficient durability will be used wherever possible,” he said.

For example, a proposal is to use laterite stone and quarry waste for building roads in Kasaragod where they are available for reasonable prices. The LSGD had earlier studied certain roads paved with laterite stones. “They were stretches with low traffic. All roads, including a 17-year-old one, remain in good condition. The expenses were very low when compared to bitumen tarring. Even retarring would cost an average `15 lakh for a kilometre,” says the chief engineer.

The SS followed by the MoRD involves costly methods since they are meant for big roads. But most of the roads under the LSGD are below the 6m width, making them ineligible for assistance under central schemes. Recently, the LSGD launched a quality monitoring system under which contractors are to mandatorily employ professionals for full-time monitoring of works.

Workshop
State Planning Board member Jiju P Alex will be the moderator of the workshop. The speakers include chief technical examiner Harikumar S, state audit department director Sanky D, chief town planner Shiji E Chandran, and retired LSGD chief engineers P R Sajikumar and Sajeevan K V. LSGD additional chief secretary Sarada Muraleedharan, principal secretary Sharmila Mary Joseph, principal director M G Rajamanickam, panchayat director H Dineshan and urban affairs department director Arun K Vijayan will attend the inaugural event.

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