GUWAHATI, Aug 29 � Though �go green� is the buzzword today to reduce carbon footprints, the State is yet to ensure optimum utilization of a green technology of road construction using cold bitumen emulsions, that is less time and fuel consuming and has been approved as ideal for the weather conditions of Assam by institutes like IIT-Guwahati and the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI).
With the roads of the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) being constructed mostly through the conventional method of heating the bitumen on the spot � a time taking process entailing lots of fuel consumption � apprehensions are often cast on whether the project would meet its deadline.
Whereas the longer monsoons and unpredictable weather of the region are blamed for slow pace of road construction in the whole of the North East, there is much to be done to adopt the technologies that are certified to deliver the maximum results suiting to the weather conditions of the region and the State.
A �18-Months Performance Report� on the cold mix technology used for PMGSY and other roads of Assam that was submitted to the Public Works Department by the experts in IIT-G recommended that cold mix can be tried in a large scale application for rural roads as the road surfaces were giving satisfactory appearances like any hot mix construction but at a much faster pace.
Cold mix method is the simple process of mixing unheated aggregates with suitable grade of bitumen emulsion, which does not require any heating on the construction site, does not involve any hazardous activity, consumes lesser energy, and is extremely fast delivering an average 1.2 km per day, without much additional financial implications.
According to Dr PK Jain, scientist at the Central Road Research Institute, New Delhi, the cold mix construction using good quality emulsion and aggregates undertaken under expert guidance is always expected to give good results.
�Due to longer monsoon period in the region, road construction with cold mix bitumen emulsion is more viable from both socio-economic and environmental point of view. Not just it accelerates the pace of work by making it possible to work in the rainy season; it also ensures reduced heath and safety hazards. Unskilled local labour force including women can also be employed at construction sites which diminishes the role of migrant labourers,� said Arindam Purkayastha, head of cold mix technology at Bitchem Asphalt Technologies.
�Moreover, in the absence of heating, adoption of this technology reduces emission, cuts on pollution, saving more than 1,200 liters of fuel per kilometer of road. Since firewood is also used for heating bitumen in the conventional method, new technology reduces deforestation, unlike the conventional method,� he added.
Till now, 1,200 kilometers of road have already been constructed by Bitchem many States of the North East, including Abhayapuri, Sualkuchi, Bonsor, Bejera, Sivasagar, Jorhat and Kokrajhar of Assam. The firm�s plant at Ninth Mile on the outskirts of Guwahati has the capacity to produce bitumen emulsion for one kilometer per hour.
�Blame it largely on lack of awareness or hesitation to replace the conventional method with a new technology, this technology is yet to gain its share of popularity. However, we have been trying to generate awareness among people concerned with practical demonstrations. Positive response from the government is also awaited, for a speedy progress of construction works in the rural Assam,� he further mentioned.
