WPB: The Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) has introduced Rejubit, India’s first indigenously developed rejuvenating agent designed to restore and recycle aging bitumen roads. This groundbreaking solution is set to reduce road resurfacing costs by 66% while also easing the country’s dependency on imports.
Ambika Behl, a senior principal scientist at CRRI, explained that by using this new agent, aged road materials can be recycled at just one-third of the current cost, which presently requires expensive imported additives. She further noted that once production scales up, this chemical solution will drastically decrease the demand for fresh raw materials, many of which are currently sourced from abroad.
Addressing the launch event, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari emphasized that this innovation aligns with India’s economic objectives, particularly its efforts to reduce import expenditures. “Our country’s refinery capacity stands at 50 lakh tons, whereas our total requirement is 95 lakh tons, meaning 45 lakh tons of bitumen are imported,” he stated.
Gadkari further highlighted the urgent need for cost-effective and environmentally friendly road construction methods to support India’s rapidly expanding infrastructure. “We require high-quality roads while simultaneously lowering construction expenses and improving standards. Exploring alternative materials is key to achieving this goal,” he added.
The production of this rejuvenating agent will be handled by Ooms India, a private firm that has obtained a CRRI license to manufacture it.
Later, during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Gadkari disclosed that over the past three financial years, 103 cases of action have been taken against contractors and concessionaires due to substandard work, inefficiency, failure to complete projects, or exceeding deadlines for national highway construction. Parliamentary records revealed that in six of these instances, contractors’ bank guarantees were confiscated.
Among the states, Tripura, Maharashtra, and Nagaland recorded the highest number of flagged projects, with 13, 12, and 11 cases, respectively. Additionally, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh were significantly impacted, with 10 and 9 delayed projects making the list of 103 problematic cases identified by the ministry.
By Bitumenmag
Road, Asphalt, Bitumen, India
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