BMC takes up pilot project using plastic mixed bitumen for road repairs in Salt Lake
Times of India | 16 June 2025
123 Kolkata: The Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has taken up a pilot project of laying plastic mix bituminous for road repairs in Salt Lake. Work started from Salt Lake CA block falling in BMC ward 39.Civic officials said this was the first time in the BMC area of Salt Lake and Rajarhat Gopalpur that plastic mixed bituminous was being used for repairing a road stretch. On last Wednesday, the civic authorities started repairing a stretch of road beside CA market with plastic mixed bitumen.BMC deputy mayor Anita Mondal, also in charge of road repair and maintenance, said that it is a pilot project which has been taken up. "If found to be successful, more road stretches across Salt Lake and Rajarhat Gopalpur will be relaid and repaired with such plastic mixed bituminous," Mondal said.In May 2019, the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) first experimented with mixing shredded plastic waste with road construction materials to repair some road stretches in New Town. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) followed the method, and in 2023, KMC took a short stretch of DH Road for repairing it with plastic hot mix. Thereafter, KMC already repaired some paved lanes and fringe roads with recycled plastic and decided to repair some of the city's major road stretches and relay the road surfaces with recycled plastic hot mix.BMC ward 39 councillor Rajesh Chirimar said that a plastic crusher was installed in his ward a few years back. "Different kinds of plastic waste are put into the machine, and the crushed plastic which is being produced has been mixed with bitumen. This was done following a guideline which was provided to us with the help of the BMC commissioner and engineers of the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) as to how much plastic needs to be mixed with how much bitumen and other road construction materials," Chirimar said.Chirimar said that over 7,000 square meter of road has been relaid with plastic mixed bitumen. It has a five-year guarantee period. "This could further pave the way for more plastic mixed bituminous road repairs," he said.Civic engineers said that plastic itself was water-resistant and it has properties that can tighten the bitumen, which increases the longevity and reduces potholes from developing on the road after consistent heavy rains. "Roads relaid with plastic mixed bitumen are expected to be better-resistant to wear and tear," said a civic official. BMC has been conducting road repair work across Salt Lake for the last few months. The road repair drive was formally launched on March 3 this year from a stretch at Nayapatti area bordering Salt Lake in the presence of minister and Bidhannagar MLA Sujit Bose and BMC mayor Krishna Chakraborty.
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