Indian army and the Military Engineer Services in Guwahati has just built a road from plastic waste. The use of polythene bags continues to be a serious obstacle for the country and its use is dropping very grave results day by day. However, the Indian Army has now come up with a great idea that will help the nation to fight this problem, which is worthy of a share.
A road made of plastic waste
India is the world’s 15th highest plastic waste-producing country. There are about 25,940 tonnes of plastic waste produced in India every day.
The men in uniform have always been mindful of having a healthy environment. It has undertaken many initiatives under the Swatch Bharat Abhiyan and contributed immensely towards this phase. Going to the next level, the army and the Military Engineer Services in Guwahati have constructed roads using waste plastics. This excellent project has been undertaken at Narangi Military Station where nearly 1.24 MT of waste plastic has been used to construct a road using the latest technology.
Plastic waste management
This time the army has decided to construct a road by mixing shredded plastic waste with heated bitumen. This is a green technology, which aims to reduce the menace of plastic waste at one hand and improve the durability of the roads on the other. The plan to handle plastic in road building is an action to reduce, reuse and recycle waste plastic.
The sources say that the road constructed using waste plastic will last longer as compared to the normal method. It is also more affordable to build and maintain and significantly decreases the amount of plastic going into our oceans and landfills. Utilization of waste plastic in road construction can help in significantly solving one of the biggest problems of plastic waste management.
“This is the first time in any military station that waste plastic was used to build a road,” says Lt Col P Khongsai Public Relations Officer (Defence), Guwahati.