Govt explores ways to incorporate waste materials into highway construction

Draft policy by Ministry of Road Transport & Highways seeks to integrate Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 with National Highway construction

The Indian government is drafting a policy to integrate road construction with the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0. This would involve the incorporation of inert material from solid waste in the construction of embankments along national highways (NHs). The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, after the success of pilot projects, has formulated this draft policy and has invited public comments on its proposals, according to a report by The Economic Times (ET).

The disposal of solid waste is a major environmental challenge in urban areas, with an estimated 10,000 hectares of landlocked in dump sites. These landfill sites are nearing maximum capacity and pose environmental and health hazards.

The inert material available from dump sites can potentially be utilised in the construction of embankments for NHs and state roads. The government has decided to align highway construction with Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 to optimise this potential of inert waste material.

However, to embark on this project, the ministry must address two issues: the proper disposal of urban solid waste and the increasing demand for earth or soil required for constructing embankments, particularly as highway construction gains momentum. According to the ministry's assessment, approximately 170 million tonnes of waste accumulate across 2,304 dump sites in the country.

The draft guidelines propose that all projects, whether in the bidding stage or detailed project report (DPR), will be eligible to use inert material.

Municipal bodies are also being encouraged to expedite the establishment of facilities for the biomining of municipal solid waste to generate inert material. Additionally, highway contractors may also set up such facilities. Machines purchased for this purpose will be considered for mobilisation advance at the applicable rates.

Pilot projects have been conducted in Delhi-NCR on the urban extension road, and DND Sohna spurs of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, as well as on the Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway. In both cases, inert material, a significant component of municipal solid waste, was used in constructing embankments.