Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced that the Centre will assist Odisha in using segregated municipal solid waste for the construction of the new Bhubaneswar Ring Road, an eco-friendly initiative successfully implemented earlier in Delhi, according to The Times of India. The 110.8-kilometre, six-lane, access-controlled road project, estimated to cost over Rs 83.08 billion, is designed to ease traffic congestion on NH-16 between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. Addressing the Indian Roads Congress (IRC) in Bhubaneswar, Gadkari said, “So far, we have used 8 million tonnes of municipal legacy waste for road construction. In Delhi, we reduced waste from the Ghazipur dump yard by segregating and reusing it for road building. We plan to adopt the same model in Bhubaneswar, helping the Odisha government keep the city clean.” He confirmed that the Centre has already sanctioned the project, which will be executed in three packages, adding, “This is a vital infrastructure project for the capital. The bhoomi puja (groundbreaking ceremony) will be conducted soon.” The road is expected to be completed within two and a half years, easing congestion on NH-16 between Cuttack and the airport. Bhubaneswar currently generates around 800 metric tonnes of waste daily. Since the closure of the Bhuasun dumping yard, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been storing waste at a temporary transit station near Sainik School, processing it through micro-composting centres (MCCs) and material recovery facilities (MRFs). A BMC official noted, “If the waste is utilised for road construction, the large pile near Sainik School will be reduced, helping us maintain cleanliness and eliminate the stench around the transit station.” Highlighting the ministry’s commitment to eco-friendly infrastructure, Gadkari said, “It is our duty to protect the ecology and environment. The road sector contributes nearly 40 per cent of national pollution. Our policy promotes import substitutes, cost-effective, pollution-free, and indigenous technologies.” He further encouraged the use of bamboo for barricades, rice straw for bio-bitumen, and materials like steel slag and recycled tyres in road construction to reduce carbon footprint and improve sustainability.