India Builds 40,000 Km Of Rural Roads With Plastic Waste, Sustainable Highways Next

Nearly 40,000 kilometres of rural roads have been constructed using plastic waste under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, a senior official revealed on Tuesday (1 October).

According to Vini Mahajan, Secretary of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), 13,000 kilometres have been completed using this sustainable method in the past two years alone.

Speaking at a media interaction, Mahajan emphasised the importance of sustainability in India’s infrastructure development. "These innovations showcase our commitment to sustainability and the future of sanitation in India," she said, highlighting significant progress in greywater and plastic waste management.

Mahajan also noted that over 55 per cent of villages have been declared 'ODF Plus Model,' and that 5 lakh waste collection vehicles are currently in operation across the country. She attributed this progress to collective support from central ministries, states, and union territories, especially for the 'Swachhata Hi Seva-2024' campaign, reports Economic Times.

"Sanitation is a societal issue that unites us all, driven by cohesive leadership from the highest levels to local communities," Mahajan said, emphasizing that cleanliness is an ongoing journey that relies on behavior change.

Mandatory Use of Plastic Waste in Highway Construction

On Wednesday (2 October), Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari announced that using plastic waste in highway construction is now mandatory. So far, 80 lakh tonnes of garbage have been repurposed for constructing national highways, including the one between New Delhi and Mumbai.

Speaking at the conclusion of the ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ campaign, Gadkari emphasised both the environmental and economic benefits of using waste materials for infrastructure projects, noting that recycling waste not only helps reduce pollution but also creates jobs.

Highlighting the potential of waste-to-fuel conversion, Gadkari mentioned ongoing projects in collaboration with Indian Oil and other companies to produce bio-CNG from waste materials.

He also discussed Reliance’s plans to launch 600 projects to generate bio-CNG and LNG from rice straw, cow dung, and biomass — an effort to showcase the value of waste as an alternative fuel resource.