In a bid to address the environmental challenge of solid waste disposal in urban areas, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued policy guidelines on use of inert material in construction of National! Highways.
According to the ministry, approximately 10,000 hectares of land are currently dedicated to dump sites, with the existing landfill sites nearing maximum capacity, posing severe environmental and health hazards.
Recognising the need for sustainable highway construction with minimal environmental impact, MoRTH, through the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), has undertaken two pilot projects for utilising inert material, a major component of municipal solid waste, in the construction of highway embankments. The success of these projects, carried out in Delhi-NCR and on the Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway, has led to the decision to integrate the use of inert material in highway/road projects across the country.
Under the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0 (SBM 2.0), the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA) has mapped solid waste sites and material availability across the country. With about 1,700 lakh tonne of waste accumulated across 2,304 dump sites, the inert material from these processing sites can potentially be utilised in highway embankment construction. This aligns with the principles of Gati Shakti, prompting the dovetailing of Highways construction with SBM 2.0.
A study conducted by MoRTH through the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) has confirmed that the inert soil generated through bio-remediation and bio-mining of legacy waste can be effectively used in highway embankments.
To implement this scheme, a brief methodology for laying inert material in embankments has been outlined, emphasising testing, layering, moisture control, and compaction. For projects in the Design, Procurement, and Construction stages, MoRTH proposes collaboration with municipal bodies to utilize inert material from nearby landfills, facilitating a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the parties.
The success of this initiative hinges on the proactive establishment of facilities for bio-mining of municipal solid waste by local bodies. With funds provided under SBM 2.0, Municipal Bodies are urged to expedite the setup of these facilities. A communication from MoRTH said that NHAI is promoting environmentally friendly practices in highway construction, ensuring a harmonious balance between infrastructure development and ecological sustainability.
Photo courtesy: Satyaja Infratech.
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