NHAI to use solid waste for construction of Delhi-Meerut Expressway

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) plans to utilise the solid waste material generated from Ghazipur land fill site in the construction of the 90km Delhi-Meerut Expressway.

NHAI had earlier entrusted the assignment of technically verifying whether solid waste material generated from municipal/city waste can be utilised for highway construction to CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CRRI). The CSIR-CRRI conducted a study by collecting 70 tonnes of municipal solid waste from different locations of 5/10/15 years old from Ghazipur land fill site of Municipal Corporation of Delhi and have recommended the following: 

1. The municipal solid waste contains about 65% to 70% of soil components which can be used in embankment construction after segregation from the municipal solid waste.

2. The methodology suggested for use is by drying the collected municipal solid waste and passing through different sieves. The percentage passing from the 16mm sieve contains 44% to 48% of municipal solid waste which can be directly used in embankment construction.

3. For utilising the municipal solid waste passing through 32mm sieve, the segregation of plastic material and PVC etc., will have to be blown by using high capacity blowers at the segregation plant. 

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (East) had earlier approached NHAI to make use of waste at Ghazipur landfill site, whereupon the chairman of NHAI had commissioned analytical study through CRRI.

NHAI plans utilisation of this Solid Waste Material for its highway construction program on NH-24, i.e. Meerut Expressway. To allay the doubts of concessionaires and to encourage them to utilise this waste, NHAI has offered to indemnify the concessionaires for the stretches where this waste material shall be tried.

Also, NHAI will write to MoEF to allow usage of solid waste material in lieu of fly-ash wherever feasible. This initiative of NHAI shall promote the construction of Green Highways in the country as it amounts to substantial replacement of natural earth, mining of which causes environmental problems. 

NHAI is already utilising fly-ash upto 30% of earth filling in the Eastern Peripheral Expressway and using other slag materials elsewhere, keeping with the Prime Minister’s directions for use of waste in a productive way.