The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has validated the usage of municipal waste materials for highway construction, said an official statement.
The work of technically verifying solid waste material for highway construction was entrusted to the CSIR's Central Road Research Institute (CRRI).
According to the statement, the CRRI conducted a study by collecting from different locations in Ghazipur landfill site of Municipal Corporation of Delhi 70 tonnes of municipal solid waste which was 5, 10, 15 years old.
They have recommended that the municipal solid waste contains about 65 to 70 per cent of soil components, which can be used in embankment construction after segregation from the municipal solid waste.
"The methodology suggested for use is by drying the collected municipal solid waste and passing through different sieves.
The percentage passing from the 16 mm sieve contains 44 to 48 per cent of municipal solid waste which can be directly used in embankment construction, " said the statement adding that for utilising the municipal solid waste passing through 32 mm sieve, the segregation of plastic material and PVC will have to be blown by using high capacity blowers at the segregation plant.
CRRI Director Satish Chandra presented the report and findings to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Chairman Raghav Chandra in presence of senior NHAI officers and various stake holders.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (East) had earlier approached NHAI to make use of the waste at the Ghazipur Landfill site, whereupon the NHAI Chairman had commissioned an analytical study through CRRI.
NHAI plans utilisation of this Solid Waste Material for its highway construction programme on National Highway - 24 - - a part of which is Meerut Expressway.
"To allay the doubts of concessionaires and to encourage them to utilize this waste, NHAI has offered to indemnify the concessionaires for the stretches where this waste material shall be tried.
Also, NHAI will write to MoEF to allow usage of solid waste material in lieu of fly - ash wherever feasible, " said the statement.
This initiative of NHAI shall promote the construction of Green highways in the country as it amounts to substantial replacement of natural earth, mining of which causes environmental problems.
According to the ministry, NHAI is already utilising fly - ash upto 30 per cent of earth filling in the Eastern Peripheral Expressway and using other slag materials elsewhere.
This will be in keeping with Prime Minister's directions for use of waste in a productive way.
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