New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has taken an important step to dispose of the garbage that has become a mountain of a problem for cities. Linking the process of construction of national highways with Swachh Bharat Mission-2.0, the ministry was working for several months to make a system that urban solid waste should be used in the construction of roads. Now the government has made a complete guideline.

Industry waste will be used in the construction of roads

Along with using the soil obtained from garbage in large quantities in the construction of national highways, the states have also been told that they can also use it in the construction of roads. Along with all the organizations associated with the construction of national highways, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has also issued guidelines to all the states.

It has been stated that keeping environmental protection in mind, the government is working on making such a policy that processed solid waste, plastic waste, steel slag (waste generated during steel production) and industrial waste should be used in the construction of roads.

Guidelines have been made for use in road construction

Under this, a guideline has been made for the use of solid waste from cities in road construction. The government estimates that currently about 1700 lakh tonnes of garbage is collected at 2304 landfill sites. Due to this, about 10 thousand hectares of land is surrounded. In view of this, highway construction has been linked to Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 under the Gati Shakti Abhiyan.

For highway construction, soil has to be taken from the fields on a large scale. This can be avoided to a great extent by using solid waste. The ministry has said that two pilot projects of highway construction using soil obtained from processing solid waste have been successful. Now this process will be adopted in the construction of other highways and states can also use it to build state roads.

Nodal officer appointed

The guideline also clarifies the process of how contractors, concerned authorities and bodies can work for DPR level projects, projects under construction and upcoming projects. Tripartite agreements will have to be made in all cases so that the supply of soil from solid waste can be ensured for construction. States have also been asked to appoint nodal officers to implement this system.