Road Ministry to use plastic for NH construction
ROADS & HIGHWAYS

Road Ministry to use plastic for NH construction

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MORTH) is encouraging the use of waste plastic in highway construction, especially on National Highways (NH) within a 50-km periphery of urban areas with a population of 0.5 million or more. A stretch of road has recently been constructed using waste plastic on NH-48 near Dhaula Kuan. Portions of the Delhi-Meerut expressway and Gurugram-Sohna road have also been planned for construction using plastic waste.

In fact, plastic waste has already been used in wearing courses of NH construction on a pilot basis in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The technology used is in compliance with the guidelines of Indian Roads Congress (IRC) for the use of waste plastic in hot bituminous mixes in wearing courses. Construction of 1 km of a four-lane highway can help dispose about 7 tonne of waste plastic.

On the preparation of the guidelines being used as a framework for the construction of the highways, SK Nirmal, Secretary-General, IRC, says, “IRC prepared ‘Guidelines for the Use of Waste Plastic in Hot Bituminous Mixes (Dry Process) in Wearing Courses (IRC:SP:98)’ in 2013. The document was an outcome of a number of successful pilot projects completed in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Delhi. The same was also corroborated in a MoRTH-sponsored research scheme (R-85). After the publication of the IRC document, many road projects using waste plastic have been completed under PMGSY. MoRTH had also issued ‘Guidelines for Use of Waste Plastic in Bituminous Wearing Courses’ within 50-km periphery of an urban area, having a population of more than 5 lakh. The document envisages the use of waste plastic at 6-8 per cent of the weight of the bitumen depending on the climatic conditions of high or low rainfall areas. This should address some of the problems of safe and meaningful disposal of waste plastic, which is otherwise a serious environmental problem.”

Additionally, the ministry has mobilised nearly 26,000 people across the country to spread awareness on plastic waste management. Over 61,000 hours of shramdaan have been given to collect plastic waste, resulting in the collection of nearly 18,000 kg of waste plastic throughout the country.

Under its ‘Swachhta Hi Sewa’ initiative, the Government of India has launched an awareness drive to curb the use of plastic by discouraging the use of plastic water bottles, installing dustbins for collection of segregated waste, and distributing cloth and jute bags.



                    

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MORTH) is encouraging the use of waste plastic in highway construction, especially on National Highways (NH) within a 50-km periphery of urban areas with a population of 0.5 million or more. A stretch of road has recently been constructed using waste plastic on NH-48 near Dhaula Kuan. Portions of the Delhi-Meerut expressway and Gurugram-Sohna road have also been planned for construction using plastic waste.In fact, plastic waste has already been used in wearing courses of NH construction on a pilot basis in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The technology used is in compliance with the guidelines of Indian Roads Congress (IRC) for the use of waste plastic in hot bituminous mixes in wearing courses. Construction of 1 km of a four-lane highway can help dispose about 7 tonne of waste plastic.On the preparation of the guidelines being used as a framework for the construction of the highways, SK Nirmal, Secretary-General, IRC, says, “IRC prepared ‘Guidelines for the Use of Waste Plastic in Hot Bituminous Mixes (Dry Process) in Wearing Courses (IRC:SP:98)’ in 2013. The document was an outcome of a number of successful pilot projects completed in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Delhi. The same was also corroborated in a MoRTH-sponsored research scheme (R-85). After the publication of the IRC document, many road projects using waste plastic have been completed under PMGSY. MoRTH had also issued ‘Guidelines for Use of Waste Plastic in Bituminous Wearing Courses’ within 50-km periphery of an urban area, having a population of more than 5 lakh. The document envisages the use of waste plastic at 6-8 per cent of the weight of the bitumen depending on the climatic conditions of high or low rainfall areas. This should address some of the problems of safe and meaningful disposal of waste plastic, which is otherwise a serious environmental problem.”Additionally, the ministry has mobilised nearly 26,000 people across the country to spread awareness on plastic waste management. Over 61,000 hours of shramdaan have been given to collect plastic waste, resulting in the collection of nearly 18,000 kg of waste plastic throughout the country.Under its ‘Swachhta Hi Sewa’ initiative, the Government of India has launched an awareness drive to curb the use of plastic by discouraging the use of plastic water bottles, installing dustbins for collection of segregated waste, and distributing cloth and jute bags.                    

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

NACDAC PAT Rises 39%, Net Worth Doubles in FY25

NACDAC Infrastructure Limited has posted robust financial results for the fiscal year ended March 2025, with profit after tax (PAT) rising by 38.97 per cent year-on-year and net worth more than doubling. The company also reported a 33.84 per cent increase in revenue from operations, supported by operational efficiency, strategic project execution, and expansion across sectors and regions.In FY25, NACDAC recorded:Revenue from operations of Rs 485.8 million (up from Rs 362.97 million in FY24)EBITDA of Rs 67.6 million (up 31.93 per cent YoY)PAT of Rs 41.4 million (up from Rs 29.8 million in FY24)..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Tata Communications Boosts Asia Connectivity With New Subsea Cable

Tata Communications, a global leader in communications technology, has announced the integration of the TGN-IA2 submarine cable system into its existing network. Developed by the Asia Direct Cable (ADC) consortium, the new cable represents a major advancement in network capacity, speed, and reliability for businesses across Asia and beyond.The TGN-IA2 cable is designed to deliver seamless connectivity, scalable bandwidth, and high-capacity data transfer across multiple routes. It will benefit enterprises, hyperscalers, and service providers by offering diverse and resilient connectivity throug..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

L&T Wins Water Projects in Rajasthan Worth Over Rs 1 Billion

Larsen & Toubro’s Water & Effluent Treatment (WET) business has secured major engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) orders from the Public Health Engineering Department of Rajasthan, aimed at improving water access and infrastructure across rural areas of the state.The largest order is for the Rajasthan Rural Water Supply and Fluorosis Mitigation Project – Phase II, Package-1, which includes the supply and installation of 5,251 km of transmission and distribution pipelines, construction of 38 ground-level reservoirs with a combined capacity of 40 million litres (ML), 20 p..

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?