It is a known fact that waste generated from discarded plastic items is hazardous to the environment, but what if waste plastic can also be utilized in constructing roads in the city! The Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) recently repaired half a km of the road outside Hutchings High School near Old Golibar Maidan. This move has been carried out with the advocacy of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to prevent the persistent problem of potholes on the roads and to increase the resistance to water. Road was done by integrating plastic with tar known as polymer-modified bitumen, thus making good use of discarded plastic and preventing further damage to the environment. Plastic-cum-tar roads are 25 per cent better than unmodified roads and are almost 200 per cent resistant to soaking up water. The maintenance cost of the road is very low, while its durability is high. The roads reportedly need no repairing for at least five years. It’s comparatively cheaper than the usual road making cost and since it is on a trial basis PCB are planning to carry it out on roads that are not used extensively. Such road constructions were earlier carried out in the South and this is the first time it has been experimented in the city.
