Himachal plans plastic for roads

Realising the safe disposal of polythene waste, which is posing a great challenge to environment, the state science and technology department has drafted a plan to use plastic waste for construction of roads as well as co-processing it in cement kiln.

Nagin Nanda, director (environment), Himachal Pradesh, said four road stretches have been identified in the state for using plastic-mixed bitumen for construction on a pilot basis.

Though Himachal had banned usage of polythene bags of thickness less than 70 microns way back in 2004, polythene waste is being generated from sources like tourists, disposable items, packaging material and through packaging material of food items. Despite having waste processing facilities in the state, plastic waste remained unattended and grew in heaps at poorly maintained collection centres.

The environment, science and technology department officials maintained that since the management of the plastic components of municipal and industrial waste remained a major cause for concern, the technological option for use of waste plastic in road construction as admixture to the bitumen was explored. By using plastic in road construction, potential environment threat could be converted into an opportunity, they said.

The officials said even as 11 road stretches in Himachal had been identified for using plastic-mixed bitumen for road construction to begin with, roads in four districts including Shimla, Kullu, Chamba and Hamirpur would be taken up on a pilot basis. Based on the findings, this endeavour would be spread to other parts of the state. The total estimated cost for constructing the four roads is estimated at Rs 26 lakh and the proposal has been forwarded to the Central Pollution Control Board for financial assistance, they added.

Sunil Bose, director, Central Road Research Institute, which is helping various states in construction of roads using polythene waste, said plastics had the binding property of softening on heating at around 140 degrees. This property can be used to modify bitumen, a binder in road construction. The polymer coated aggregate with bitumen is a better material for road construction in terms of strength and resistance to rain water, he said.

Further, to manage the plastic waste in a scientific manner, the state has also prepared a project proposal with an outlay of Rs 2.07 crore for co-processing of plastic waste in cement kilns on a demonstration basis and sought financial assistance from the Central Pollution Control Board.