Assam PWRD launches Green Roads Mission

The Assam Public Works Road Department (PWRD) has launched a Green Road Mission to promote use of environment friendly technology for road construction. The programme is being carried out in collaboration with the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) and bitumen manufacturing company Bitchem Asphalt Technologies (BATL). The initiative uses cold mix technology (CMT) instead of the conventional hot mix technology and is eco and labour friendly. CMT uses natural rubber latex blended with bitumen emulsion and eliminates the need for heating. It is sustainable and does not degrade the environment like hot mix technology. Cold mix asphalt is workable over a range of air temperatures and there is minimal cracking once the mixture cures. Further, cold mix asphalt roads offer significant fuel savings for drivers, compared to hot mix asphalt roads. Assam has already constructed about 1500km of rural roads using CMT and is a pioneer in the country in this field.