Whether it is Mumbai, Delhi or Bengaluru, the annual arrival of monsoon brings along with it the glaring issue of potholes. Between 2013 and 2017, the country has recorded 14,926 deaths because of pothole accidents. In more recent numbers, 4,775 road accidents in 2020 were from potholes and 2021 saw about 3,565 accidents. It is also around this time that authorities scramble to, quite literally, plug the issue. In a more serious case, an expressway recently caved in under the heavy rains, a mere five days after its grand opening.

Widely known as the ‘Plastic Man of India’, Dr Rajagopalan Vasudevan, Professor of Chemistry, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai, is credited with developing the innovative method of using plastic waste in road construction. Working under the motto of “Plan, Don’t Ban”, the Padma Shri awardee has been developing the use of plastic in various areas such as tiles, sanitaryware, in toilets, ‘plastone’ (plastic-stone) blocks, and many more. He shares more on the process, application and benefits of using plastics as an alternative to road construction.

The process

India has 46 lakh km of roads. To convert all these roads into plastic-made roads, I need 250 lakh tonne of plastic and India produces about 10 lakh tonne. The entire process can be broken down into four parts: collect it, cut it, dry it and use it. The process itself is quite easy and doesn’t require any high-tech machinery.

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