Hyderabad couple to set up kiosks using plastic waste

HYDERABAD: In a novel idea to provide livelihood to street vendors, a couple from Hyderabad are setting up 45 eco-friendly kiosks in Siddipet using recycled plastic. Prashant Lingam and wife K Aruna, who built 55 such kiosks in Sircilla, said their experiment with plastic waste had yielded good results. “After setting up the kiosks in Sircilla, we received calls from public representatives asking us to build similar units in their assembly segments,” said Prashant.
The kiosks are being set up as part of ‘urban street vendors project,’ aimed at providing livelihood to the vendors. The couple said 22,000 kg of plastic waste was utilised to build the kiosks in Sircilla. As these units cannot be built on city pavements due to space cruch, GHMC is planning to build 100 such units near Raheja Mindspace in Madhapur.
The couple have already built five houses in the city using plastic waste and are planning to set up a plastic bus shelter. They procure the material from Gujarat. Sheets made of shredded plastic are procured and fixed to steel girders to raise slabs and walls. “The structure is solid and cheaper when compared to cement and other concrete constructions,” said Prashant.
Meanwhile, experts said various parameters come into play while raising structures using plastic waste. “Parameters like structural stability, fire resistance and quality of material which is used should be tested,” said SP Anchuri, vice-president of Structural Engineers World Congress.