Experiments with formulation for roads from municipal waste under way: Gadkari

Bengaluru: Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said the government is currently experimenting with bitumen powder with 15 per cent rubber and 7 per cent plastic waste in the construction of roads.

“Construction and mining operations consume 400 crore litres of diesel, which is quite detrimental to the environment and the economy. Precast concrete emerges as a commendable substitute for traditional concrete,” the minister said.

This comes just three months after the minister said a new policy is underway for the use of municipal waste in road construction.

Besides automobiles, the minister also emphasised the need to use alternative fuels including ethanol, methanol and CNG for construction machines, underlining the need to make India an importer of energy from its current status of an exporter.

“The import of around Rs 16 lakh crore of fossil fuel is not only an economic problem but is also causing pollution in major cities and creating health problems,” he said. Green hydrogen will make India an exporter of energy from its current state of being largely an importer, the minister added.

Gadkari also underscored the need for more investments and work in the research and development sector, to develop solutions with the latest technologies.

Citing that construction sales will increase 3 times to 2.5 lakh units by 2030, he called for the industry's cooperation to propel the construction sector in India, which currently ranks as the world's third-largest, to the top spot within the next five years.

He urged the players to work on regularising the rental segment in the construction sector and also advocated for more skill development courses specific to the construction sector to be offered in the top colleges in the country.

The minister last week unveiled Asia's first hydrogen-powered construction machine JCB, today unveiled a range of Volvo CE's electric commercial vehicles at Excon 2023 in Bengaluru.