Zydex Tech eyes building 20K km green roads in India by 2016

Zydex Technologies today said it is eyeing building up to 20,000 km of moisture-resistant green roads in India by 2016 using its nanotechnology, after building such highways in US, Europe and Africa.

"We are looking at building 10-20,000 km of roads using our innovative technique in India in the next three years to provide moisture-resistant and pothole-free roads, which need no maintenance for about 15 years. We have already completed about 500 km of roads here with Border Roads Organisation and other agencies," Zydex Industries CEO Ajay Ranka told PTI.

The Gujarat-headquartered organisation has patented its nanotechnology which reduces water percolation into roads.

Use of this technology can help the government save Rs 7,200 crore per annum on bitumen only, Ranka earlier told reporters.

"Bitumen consumption in India is about 4.5 million tonnes per annum, which costs Rs 18,000 crore, of which 80% is used to resurface roads. Use of Zydex's technology will not only double the life of roads but cut the cost by Rs 7,200 per year," Ranka said.

Also, he claimed that using this technology the government can save over Rs 21,000 annually in maintenance of rural roads.

"The annual cost to the country for maintaining rural road assets is Rs 21,700 crore, which could be saved. In view of the cost of water proofing of about Rs 12,000 per lane km for the top layer and side slopes, the rain inflicted damages can be brought down very economically," he said.

The CEO of the firm said it also plans to increase capacity four-fold to 6,000 tonnes a year at Vadodara plant with an expenditure of Rs 30 crore.

Ranka said the technology is getting wider recognition globally, including in Texas, where he claimed 40% of roads were built using it, but rued that in India procedural delays prevent the country from getting the benefits of this advanced technology.

"We have orders from Canada, US, Germany, Sweden, Nigeria, Mexico, Russia, Turkey, Indonesia, Japan and many other countries which are rapidly using the technology but on home turf we are faced with roadblocks. Set protocols are there in other countries, which we lack here," he said.

However, the company has built roads using the technology in Leh Laddakh region in collaboration with Border Roads Organisation.

Besides, in some states it is working under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, he added.