New technologies being used to make roads stronger, more sustainable: Nitin Gadkari

New Delhi [India], September 16 (ANI): Road and Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that the highways in the country were being built to international standards and that efforts are being made to explore new technologies to deal with the damage caused by rains, floods and cloudbursts.
Addressing Panchjanya Infra Confluence here, Gadkari said treated sewage water will be used for road and building construction.

The Minister said that by combining modern technology with eco-friendly practices, India is building a "new generation of highways" that are durable, green, and future-ready.
"Sometimes, natural challenges occur -- cloudbursts, record-breaking rainfall, floods -- and problems arise. To deal with such issues, we are constantly exploring new technologies," Gadkari said.
The ministry, he said, is tapping into steel slag from the steel industry and fly ash from thermal plants for road construction, reducing waste and improving quality. "Every day we adopt new technologies -- from fly ash in cement to municipal solid waste -- making roads stronger and more sustainable," Gadkari said,
He said attention is also being paid to drainage along roads to prevent water accumulation.
"In some areas (where) we are now building concrete roads, we also noticed earlier that roadside drains, meant to carry away water, were not designed properly, which caused waterlogging and damaged the roads. To address this, we have now made it mandatory to use precast drains and storm drains," he said.
"Recently, I also saw a presentation about new technology that uses waste plastic in road construction. A special layer is created with plastic, which increases the road's lifespan by four to five years, while also making use of waste plastic," he added.
Gadkari also said his ministry was working on prefabricated road slabs to ensure faster and more uniform construction.
He said work is being done so that slabs are factory-made -- 3x3 meters, 4x6 meters -- tested to standard, and then joined together seamlessly. "This will bring consistency and faster construction. We are experimenting with several such innovations."
Citing progress on waste management, Gadkari noted that nearly 80 lakh tonnes of solid waste have already been used in projects like the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and Ahmedabad-Dholera Highway.
"I'm happy to share that we have used nearly 80 lakh tonnes of solid waste in projects like the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and Ahmedabad-Dholera Highway. Studies show India has massive garbage dumps -- four in Delhi alone -- and 50% of waste in 15 major cities. We have now made a plan to use all municipal waste in road construction by 2027, freeing the country from these garbage mountains," the Union Minister said.
On eco-friendly initiatives, Gadkari said sewage water is being treated and sold in Nagpur, generating about Rs 300 crore annually, while similar projects are underway in Mathura.
"Small-scale STPs are being set up so that treated water can be used in construction, saving potable water," he added.
The Minister said his ministry has also planted over five crore trees and transplanted more than 20 lakh trees across projects. "In Paithan, Maharashtra, centuries-old banyan trees that stood in the way of roads were successfully transplanted," he said.
Gadkari also emphasised the pioneering use of bamboo crash barriers. "For crash barriers, instead of steel, we have successfully built 80 km of bamboo crash barriers -- stronger than steel, eco-friendly, and locally sourced from the Northeast," he said.
On the energy front, Gadkari pointed out that stubble once burnt by farmers is now being used to produce bio-CNG, with around bio-refineries being set up in Punjab, Haryana, and Western Uttar Pradesh. "Six bio-bitumen refineries have already started in India....," he said.
He said these innovations are part of a broader push towards making farmers "not only annadatas (providers of food) but also urjadatas (providers of energy)." (ANI)