Maharashtra has planned to make roads using plastic waste in cities. It has decided on a pilot road construction project using shredded plastic.
"The initial target of the Public Works Department (PWD) is to construct 100 kilometres of roads in and around cities using this new technology," said a senior state PWD official.
"It will not only help dispose of plastic waste, but studies have shown that plastic can insulate tar from water. It will help in preventing damage to roads due to rainfall. So, we have decided to focus on urban areas because roads here are more prone to wear and tear," he added.
For now, the government has decided to use disposable plastic in road construction in all the municipal corporations, having a population of more than five lakh, and the municipal councils, having a population of more than two lakh.
Regional offices have been instructed to use plastic waste for road work in a 50-kilometre radius of these areas.