The Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has adopted a unique way to use fully discarded plastics. In the first of its kind attempt, the discarded plastics mixed with bitumen are being utilized to construct roads here in Capital City. According to the officials, after checking out the durability of the roads, the project will be extended to different wards in the days to come.
Initiating the work of construction of roads on pilot basis from Dhurwa area (ward 40) using plastic wastes, a 2500 feet long road is being constructed using this formula. The Executive Engineer associated with RMC said that of the total, plastic wastes and non-recyclable stuffs was added in 200 feet stretch of bituminous concrete roads.
According to an RMC City Manager, after analyzing the reports about the trial projects involving use of waste plastic in constructing small road stretches at different places across the country, the civic body here has taken up the project. “Taking the opinion of experts, the project has been started. The Municipal Corporation has decided to further explore how plastic can be used in road construction. After checking out the sustainability of this project, we will extend this in other wards too. Also, this step will ensure that plastic wastes are fully discarded,” said, RMC City Manager, Swati Raj.
The City Manager further added that with bitumen, around 100 kg of discarded plastic material has been used in construction of 200 feet long and 15 feet wide road in Dhurwa. “The packaging materials that are discarded were collected from different wards, segregated and was utilized for the purpose. Also, waste products that are not recycled were broken down into small particles and was utilized in this,” the City Manager further added. The civic body has adopted stringent methods for segregating waste materials under solid waste management rules, 2016. The garbage collectors have been ordered to ensure proper segregation of waste products at MTS.
The work of utilizing the non-biodegradable stuffs in constructing the roads have been undertaken here in consultation with civil engineers including experts from Jamshedpur Utility and Services Company (JUSCO). However, Ranchi is not the only Urban local Body (UlB) that is using waste plastic mixed with bitumen to construct roads; Jamshedpur had earlier adopted this innovative technique.