After ban,hill state plans incentives to get rid of plastics

The government has decided to extend monetary incentives to panchayats,local bodies and rag-pickers for collection of polythene waste from hillsides and their supply to the public works department (PWD) for use in the construction of roads.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal in Shimla on Tuesday.

The state will launch an environment campaign from December 21 to 26,involving environmentalists,non-governmental organisations and educational institutions,to clean the entire state of plastic and other non-biodegradable materials.

Dhumal said the campaign would also engage the urban local bodies and panchayati raj institutions to make it a mass movement.

“Besides considering some incentives to the local bodies and rag-pickers,the government will ensure that no plastic waste is imported into the state. Only those collected from within the state will be shredded and used in the tarring of roads,” he said.

Chief Secretary Asha Swaroop said: “Entry points at the borders should be the checking points to ensure that no plastic material is being imported into the state.”

The plastic road technology
Developed and patented by scientist Dr R Vasudevan from Madurai,the latest technology of using discarded polythene in the tarring of roads was first experimented in Shimla in September this year under his supervision,along with the Central Pollution Control Board and the HP Pollution Control Board. The polythene collected from various suppliers,for whom the incentive is yet to be decided,will be shredded in machines and used as first coating over pebbles—required in tarring—heated at 165 degrees Celsius before the mixing of bitumen. This technology will not only give better road in terms of strength and stability,which do not require maintenance before five years despite the vagaries of the weather,but will also save up to 10 per cent of bitumen required for binding of the aggregate. The formula has been successfully used in Tamil Nadu (2,500 kilometres) Maharashtra,Goa and Kerala.