The Belgaum City Corporation has approved a pioneering initiative to incorporate plastic waste into road construction within the city. The initial phase of the project will focus on a specific ward, with plans to expand citywide if successful.
This decision was reached during a meeting of the Public Works Committee in Belgaum on Sunday. The pilot project aims to utilize approximately five tonnes of plastic waste seized from various sources, including shops, storehouses, and vendors who violated waste disposal regulations.
A comprehensive plan is in progress to segregate plastic waste before it reaches the landfill. Historically, cement factories have procured plastic waste in bulk from the city corporation.
According to Vani Vilas Joshi, the President of the Public Works Committee, engineers have indicated that 6%-8% of plastic waste will be mixed with bitumen to act as a binding agent in road construction. This incorporation is expected to reduce bitumen costs by approximately 10%.
The decision follows extensive discussions among officers and engineers who studied successful projects in other cities. Joshi emphasized that a thorough evaluation of the project, including its potential positive environmental impact, will be conducted later.
The pilot project involves constructing a road stretch at an estimated cost of ₹6 lakh, spanning from Sangolli Rayanna Circle to Sri Krishna Devaraya Circle in the city.
The Belgaum City Corporation has already been actively collecting flower waste from wholesale markets, directing it to an incense sticks-making unit. These initiatives, including the plastic waste road construction project, will be consolidated and expanded upon, according to an official present at the meeting.
