The Plastic Challenge

12 Jul 2021 CW Team

Every year, about 11 million tonne of plastic waste ends up in our oceans and make up 80 per cent of all marine debris from surface waters to deep-sea sediments. That’s the equivalent of setting five garbage bags full of trash on every foot of coastline around the world!

Recycling and reuse of plastic products, and support for research and innovation to develop new products to replace single-use plastics are necessary to prevent and reduce plastic pollution.

Recognising the need to address the challenge of marine plastic pollution, Geocycle – the global waste management arm of LafargeHolcim – is piloting in India a smart and non-invasive technology to remove plastics from canals before they reach the oceans. LafargeHolcim is the parent company of Ambuja Cements and ACC, the two major cement producing companies in India. Geocycle India is the inhouse waste management arm of Ambuja and ACC; it is a leading provider of industrial, agricultural, municipal and plastic waste management services.

Geocycle is implementing the innovative ‘bubble curtain’ technology for the first time in India to stop plastic from entering the river Yamuna. The Geocycle Bubble Barrier (GBB) has been established on the Mantola Canal of Agra City in Uttar Pradesh, which carries 40 per cent of the storm and wastewater of Agra city. Moumita Chakraborty, Head, Geocycle Asia, shares more on the technology and its implementation.

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- SERAPHINA D’SOUZA

Infrastructure Transport

18 Dec 2025

RVNL secures Rs 1.65 billion railway bridge project from North Eastern Railway

Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL) has received a Letter of Award (LoA) from North Eastern Railway for a Rs 1.65 billion railway infrastructure project, strengthening its order book and showcasing its expertise in complex railway construction.The project involves constructing the substructure of a major railway bridge over the Gandak River, located between Paniyahwa and Valmikinagar stations. This is part of the doubling of the Gorakhpur Cantt–Valmikinagar railway section, aimed at improving line capacity and operational efficiency.The bridge will feature 14 spans of 61 metres each, built on double D-t..

Raebareli’s Modern Coach Factory rolls out 15,000th railway coach

The Modern Coach Factory (MCF) at Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh has achieved a major manufacturing milestone with the rollout of its 15,000th railway coach on December 15, the Ministry of Railways said.In a press note, the ministry said that MCF has already produced 1,310 coaches in the current financial year 2025–26, reflecting sustained high output at one of Indian Railways’ most advanced passenger coach manufacturing units.Established in 2007 at Lalganj in Raebareli district, MCF was built at a cost of Rs 31.92 billion with an initial annual production capacity of 1,000 coaches. The factor..

RailTel wins Rs 260.88 million IT infrastructure order from VOC Port

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