India is taking a bold step towards a greener future by incorporating waste into its highway construction. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has introduced new policy guidelines making it mandatory for road builders, including the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), to utilize processed solid waste for constructing highway embankments. This groundbreaking initiative promises a win-win situation, addressing the growing problem of waste accumulation while simultaneously enhancing the sustainability of infrastructure projects.
The policy mandates road builders to procure processed inorganic solid waste (inert material) from municipalities before construction begins. This material, which is a byproduct of waste processing and bio-mining, will be used to build embankments, replacing the traditional use of soil sourced from private land. The use of this waste material is expected to reduce highway construction costs by an impressive 10% and expedite project completion, as obtaining environmental clearances will no longer be necessary.
The MoRTH is committed to making highway construction more sustainable. This policy is the first of many planned measures to integrate waste materials into infrastructure development. The ministry will soon unveil policies focusing on incorporating industrial waste, plastic waste, and steel slag into highway construction, further cementing its commitment to a circular economy approach.
To ensure seamless implementation, the policy leverages the Gati Shakti portal for identifying solid waste processing sites earmarked under the Swatch Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0. Road builders are required to enter into Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with municipalities located near highway construction sites to secure the necessary supplies of processed waste. The cost of this material will be factored into the overall project budget, resulting in a 10% cost reduction compared to using soil from private land.
The policy addresses concerns about the availability of processed solid waste, stipulating that highway contractors can establish processing facilities in consultation with local urban bodies if required. However, this option is reserved for exceptional cases, with the primary focus being on encouraging municipalities to expand their waste processing capabilities.
The MoRTH’s initiative has already received support from state governments, which have been urged to promote the use of inert materials in state road construction. Furthermore, the ministry is encouraging municipalities to accelerate the establishment of bio-mining facilities for municipal solid waste, leveraging funds provided under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs’ Swatch Bharat Mission Urban 2.0 (SBM 2.0).
Experts are enthusiastic about the policy’s potential. Kushal Kumar Singh, Partner at Deloitte India, emphasizes the environmental benefits of the initiative. “Extracting large quantities of soil for highway construction requires licences and often royalty payments. Using processed inorganic solid waste in highway construction will be a great facilitator. It is an environment-friendly decision which will have a positive impact in the short, medium and long term,” he said.
Jagannarayan Padmanabhan, senior director and global head of transport, mobility, and logistics at CRISIL Market Intelligence and Analytics, views the policy as a crucial step in reducing reliance on virgin raw materials. “Mandating the use of solid waste from urban landfills is one more push towards reducing the use of virgin raw materials from natural sources in Highway construction. Combined with the other environment friendly initiatives undertaken over the past decade – use of fly ash from thermal power plants, waste plastic in bituminous roads, and recycling of milled road surface, among others – this initiative too shall gradually reduce our dependency on borrow earth from agricultural lands,” he stated.
Shashwat Kumar, partner at IndusLaw, highlights the cost-effectiveness of the initiative, stating, “The technique intended to be used for obtaining inert soil is bio-mining, which is not expensive. This, compared to the cost and opportunity cost of using agricultural soil, is substantially low. In my opinion, this initiative is unlikely to impose any increased financial burden on the development of highways or even complexities and, on the contrary, will result in lowering costs required for development of highways.”
The policy is based on successful pilot projects conducted by the MoRTH through NHAI, which demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of using processed solid waste in embankment construction. These pilots were implemented on the Urban Extension road in Delhi-NCR, the DND Sohna spur of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, and the Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway. The success of these pilot projects, coupled with the policy’s alignment with the Swatch Bharat Mission Urban 2.0, provides a strong foundation for the widespread adoption of this innovative approach.
This policy represents a paradigm shift in India’s approach to infrastructure development. By integrating waste management into highway construction, the country is not only creating more sustainable infrastructure but also addressing a critical environmental challenge. This initiative sets a positive precedent for other nations facing similar waste management issues, highlighting the potential of waste as a valuable resource for sustainable development.
