Shimla: Himachal Pradesh, which has long been taking various initiatives to cut plastic pollution, has now taken a unique step in the same direction. Carry bags, milk pouches and other plastic waste in the state will no longer remain part of garbage dumps. Instead, they will be used to strengthen roads.
The state government and the Public Works Department (PWD) have decided to promote the scientific use of plastic waste in bitumen road construction. A new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been issued by the department with the dual objective of environmental protection and sustainable road construction.
Under the PWD guidelines, use of processed plastic waste will be mandatory in road construction and repair works as per specified standards. The department believes this scientific method will significantly reduce the serious problem of plastic waste disposal. At the same time, road quality and durability will see considerable improvement. PWD Secretary Devesh Kumar has issued an official notification in this regard.
As per the new system, each PWD division will assess the quantity of clean plastic waste required for road construction in its jurisdiction during the financial year. Urban bodies will be informed in writing about this determined quantity. Within 15 days, PWD officers will visit the concerned municipal bodies.
There, they will provide special training to local staff on proper collection and segregation of plastic waste. According to media reports, PWD Secretary Devesh Kumar said only flexible plastic waste such as carry bags, plastic sacks, milk pouches, and plastic bottles of cosmetics and detergents will be used.
In contrast, use of rigid plastic and black plastic film or material will be completely banned.
Municipal bodies will have to clean the plastic waste thoroughly, ensuring that dust or other impurities do not exceed one per cent of the total weight of the plastic.
The plastic will then be shredded to a size between 2.36 millimetres and 600 microns. Pieces larger than the specified size will not be accepted. As per the SOP, eight per cent shredded plastic by weight of bitumen will be added while preparing the bituminous mix for surface layers of different categories of roads.
To maintain transparency, all PWD executive engineers in the state will have to send a detailed report every month. This report must include the total quantity of plastic waste received from municipal bodies, the length of roads constructed, and complete details.
The report will be regularly sent through chief engineers to the Urban Development Department, Environment Department, and the Pollution Control Board. Fully processed and shredded plastic from municipal bodies will be collected by the concerned PWD executive engineer.
If plastic waste at any location is found larger than the specified size, the PWD will re-shred it to the required size using its own shredder. Once municipal bodies prepare the required quantity of plastic waste, they will immediately inform the PWD. The concerned executive engineer and municipal body officials will then conduct a joint inspection on site.
The report of this joint inspection will be sent to chief engineers, the Urban Development Department, the Environment, Science & Technology and Climate Change Department, and the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board.
