Ernakulam tops in use of plastic for road tarring

Ernakulam district has topped in the State in the use of shredded plastic for road tarring in the financial year 2017-18.

Around 27,590 kg of shredded plastic was used for tarring in various local bodies in the district. Thiruvananthapuram is in the second place with 23,752 kg, followed by Palakkad (22,242 kg), Thrissur (21,949), and Kozhikode (16,138), according to Clean Kerala Company, the government agency entrusted with the marketing and supply of shredded plastic to local bodies.

Shredded plastic supply

Kochi Corporation topped the list of self-government institutions that supplied the highest quantity of shredded plastic to local bodies for road tarring in 2017-18. The plastic shredding unit at Brahmapuram supplied 74,375 kg of shredded plastic in the financial year 2017-18. Thiruvananthapuram corporation was in the second place generating 38,071 kg, followed by Azhiyoor grama panchayat (14,000), Payannur municipality (8,598), and Shoranur municipality (5,963 kg).

A government order issued on November 17, 2016, had permitted local bodies to use 10% plastic in at least 10% of road work every year.

Strict implementation

A circular issued by the Local-Self Government Chief Engineer on June 20 last year had asked the executive engineers of three-tier panchayats and superintending engineers of municipalities and corporations to strictly ensure that shredded plastic was used in 20% of road work.

Clean Kerala Company collects shredded plastic from local bodies. It then hands it over to the Public Works Department and the engineering wing of the Local-Self Government Department for construction of polymerised roads.

The government is promoting the use of shredded plastic for road work as a sustainable solution to the generation of plastic refuse. According to officials, shredded plastic and bitumen are mixed at 165-degrees centigrade at tar mixing units. This mixture is laid out on the road before it cools.

Clean Kerala Company estimates that the mixing of bitumen with plastic can prevent frequent damage to roads, especially due to heavy rain and waterlogging.