Bhubaneswar: A meeting was held today under the chairpersonship of Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary, Housing & Urban Development Department, Government of Odisha, to deliberate on the use of plastic waste in road construction across the state.
During the meeting, Padhee emphasised the need to adopt sustainable and environment-friendly practices in urban infrastructure development. She highlighted that plastic waste, particularly from items such as bottles and carry bags, can be shredded and mixed with heated bitumen and aggregates to construct roads. This method, already being successfully implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), not only enhances road durability and quality but also serves as a viable solution for plastic waste management.
Odisha, in its commitment to achieving a pollution-free and sustainable environment, is now exploring similar strategies. The meeting explored the feasibility of launching pilot projects in selected urban areas of the state by utilising plastic waste in road construction. It was also discussed that the initiative will help reduce environmental pollution and contribute towards a circular economy.
Among those present during the meeting were Dr N Thirumala Naik, Vice Chairman, BDA; JP Burma, Project Director of NHAI , Abinas Behera , Manager Technical RO NHAI; Bilas Behera, EIC PH, Binay Dash, Additional Secretary, H&UD; Ratnakar Sahu, Additional Commissioner, BMC; and other senior officials and stakeholders.
The meeting concluded with a consensus to take the proposal forward in a planned and technically sound manner, starting with suitable pilot roads and ensuring collaboration between various departments, ULBs, and technical experts.
