SHILLONG: Impressed with the implementation and success of plastic roads in the state, Meghalaya is now looking forward to construct more of these roads in various districts.
Officials have also informed that construction work for a 10 km stretch of plastic road is ongoing in Sohra.
They also informed that construction of plastic roads in around 4 or 5 internal areas of Sohra will probably begin within the month.
The roads are being constructed under the Chief Minister’s Rural and Urban Development Funds and according to reliable sources, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has taken a keen interest in the concept of developing plastic roads in the state.
The concept of plastic roads has been a great success and many MLAs from different parts of the state are now proposing to construct plastic roads in their respective constituencies.
The projects for the construction of these roads are sanctioned only when demands come from the MLAs.
When asked if the concept is a success in the state, officials said that the plastic roads constructed earlier have proven their durability which is a testament of how successful the concept is.
It may be mentioned that the first plastic road in Meghalaya was constructed in Nongkynjeng village in West Khasi Hills.
The road was constructed by mixing shredded plastic waste with heated bitumen – a technology developed by Coimbatore-based Padma Shri awardee Rajagopalan Vasudevan.
This makes the road more durable and at the same time, is a solution to the growing problem of plastic waste.
According to the state government, the best part about plastic roads is the elimination of plastic from Meghalaya’s landscape.