In a move that could go a long way in reviving the fortunes of ailing jute industry, the Rural Development Ministry has asked all the States to use the environment-friendly coir and jute geo-textiles in at least five per cent of the total rural road length proposed annually under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna (PMGSY).
The Union Textile Ministry is already providing support to the North-Eastern States for building such roads in the region through its programme “scheme for promoting usage of geotech-textiles in the North-Eastern region” launched early this year.
The Textile Ministry has also designated Centre for Excellence for geo-textiles which would provide all possible assistance to the States for preparation of detailed projects reports (DPRs) for roads incorporating the jute-based material, specifications and for imparting training.
Geo-textiles or geosynthetics are strong synthetic fabrics usually used in construction of roads, and river or lake embankment, among others. An advantage of jute geo-textiles is that they can be tailor-made as per the specific technical requirements in a particular project.
Asserting that usage of geo-textiles in roads particularly rural roads is a proven environmental friendly technology for increased durability and reduced maintenance cost, Secretaries from RD and Textile Ministries, JK Mohapatra and Sanjay Kumar Panda respectively in a joint letter to the States sought usage of geo-textiles in at least five per cent of the total road length proposed for construction under the centrally sponsored scheme.
In fact, the Ministry’s guidelines already have provision for minimum 15 per cent of annual proposals received from the States under the scheme should be based on non-conventional materials or technology such as jute or geo-textiles.
“As the specifications for jute and coir geotextiles are not available from the Indian Road Congress, both the materials can be used on pilot basis on PMGSY roads in five per cent length of annual proposals out of 15 per cent,” says the letter.
The officials also pointed out that the pilot projects being undertaken in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been successful and their “initial evaluation reports” were quite positive and satisfactory.
The National Jute Board (NJB), and the Indian Jute Mills Association (IJMA) has already endorsed the use of geo-textile in Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).
Besides being used for constructing roads, the application of jute is for protection of river banks, beds of waterways, stabilisation of embankments and slopes as well.