Gadkari backs IIT tech; waste plastic used in bitumen for NH-44 for first time
The Indian Road Transport Ministry has successfully piloted the use of waste plastic in bitumen for national highway construction on NH-44. Developed by IIT (BHU), this technology aims to reduce reliance on imported bitumen while providing a sustainable solution for plastic waste management.
Why it matters
This innovation offers a dual benefit of lowering infrastructure costs by 20% and addressing India's massive daily plastic waste output.
In a first for the road sector, the Nitin Gadkari-led Road Transport Ministry has used waste plastic in a wet mix with bitumen to construct a bituminous stretch of a national highway. The initiative could help reduce the country's dependence on imported bitumen while also providing a way to tackle the growing volume of plastic waste.A pilot test section was laid recently along the main carriageway of NH-44 in Jhansi. Officials involved in the pilot said the technology could lower the consumption of conventional bitumen by around 4%, reducing demand for a material that India largely imports to meet its domestic needs.
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