The streets in the city are undergoing a plastic ‘makeover’.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is using recycled plastic waste mix to lay roads in more than a dozen stretches in the twin cities. The engineering wing of the civic body has decided to go for this type of road based on the positive feedback of a pilot project undertaken in Nagole.
A 100-metre stretch of plastic mix road was laid on the Nagole-Uppal road a few months ago at a cost of Rs. 10 lakh. According to the GHMC engineers, the road showed more strength than the conventional one, where it withstood heavy rains. Hence, the decision to lay more roads with plastic and bitumen mix was taken up.
The contractors executing the repair works in rain-battered roads have adopted this technology.
The GHMC has taken up repair works in 489 locations across the city at a cost of more than Rs. 70 crore. So far, ‘plastic roads’ — known not only for being eco-friendly but long-lasting and economical as well — have been laid in 10 locations of Jubilee Hills and Hafeezpet.
“The engineers are identifying stretches in their limits where such roads can be laid. Our aim is to lay the same in at least 12 locations by the end of December. While we are encouraging contractors to use plastic waste as part of the repair works, we will also apply for sanctions for laying new roads with this method. We will call for tenders very soon,” said Subhash Singh, Chief Engineer, Maintenance, GHMC.
The officials plan to procure recycled plastic waste from vendors.
In Bengaluru and Delhi, plastic waste has been widely used in road laying.
