Shredded plastic paves the way on India's borders, BRO carries out trials on roads

Representational image.

India's Border Road Organisation (BRO) -- that develops and maintains road networks in border areas and friendly neighboring countries -- has carried out trials to extensively use shredded plastic in road construction in India as well as in Bhutan.

The BRO has used the technology in restoring more than 13 km of border roads, a press release from the Ministry of Defence stated. It included 4.5 km on Phuentsholing-Thimphu Road in Bhutan, 2.5 km on Balipara-Charduar-Tawang road and 1 km on Roing-Koronu-Paya road in Arunachal Pradesh. Plastic has also been used to resurface 5.22 km on Hnathial-Sangau-Saiha Road in Mizoram and 2 km on Hapoli-Sarli-Huri Road in Arunachal Pradesh.

According to experts, using plastic in road construction can add to the longevity of the roads apart from being an effective way to manage waste.

In a recently held meeting of Indian Road Congress in Lucknow, Mahesh Kasture, chief manager corporate, Bharat Petroleum Corporation, said, "What used to be a wonder material is now called a notorious material and one good solution is to use it for road construction.”

“Using plastic waste for road construction is an effective solution for end of life plastic utilisation in an environmentally friendly manner, thereby saving such plastic from entering the food chain,” Hindustan Times reported Kasture as saying.

Trials on using plastic for road construction has already been carried out in Noida, Kochi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Maharashtra.

Read more: Single use plastic banned: What are the alternatives and how much do they cost?

"Using plastic waste for road construction is an effective solution for end of life plastic utilisation in an environmentally friendly manner, thereby saving such plastic from entering the food chain,” Kasture told the publication. “Once it is under the road, plastic will never come again to cause trouble."

Read more: State highways with heavy traffic top list for lane expansion, toll collection: Gadkari