CSIR Developes Pollution Free Road Const Method

Scientists at Delhi-based CSIR-Central Road Research Institute have developed a technique that allows using the jarofix waste (zinc byproduct) near mines and industries in Rajasthan as a substitute of precious soil needed for building highways. The development promises to reduce pollution, cut road construction cost and save lakhs of rupees that miners spend annually for the upkeep of these dusty mountains of waste. The technique developed by Delhi-based CSIR-Central Road Research Institute has come as a permanent solution to dispose of nearly 60-80 lakh tonne of jarofix–the waste left behind after extracting zinc metal from ore–that is dumped around two mines/industries of Hindustan Zinc Limited at Chittorgarh and Udaipur. Use of jarofix like waste material in road construction is an innovative technology and would show the way for utilisation of more industrial waste, said CSIR-CRRI director Satish Chandra. Anil Kumar Sinha, principal scientist, geotechnical engineering division, CSIR-CRRI, said, “We determined the properties of jarofix in the laboratory and recommended it for building road embankment and other layers of roads.” Test road stretches using jarofix were laid on Rajasthan State Highway (SH-9) between Chittorgarh and Udaipur and a cost analysis showed that using jarofix as a substitute of soil, saves the builder about `4.5 lakh for every 1 km of road (single lane) of 1.5-metre embankment height, he said.