The ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) has sanctioned two research projects to evaluate bio-bitumen in the laboratory and to assess the long-term performance of pavement constructed with bio-bitumen, union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday.
Further, a test section was laid on the Shamli-Muzaffarnagar portion of NH-709AD in November 2022 for performance monitoring for a period of three years to assess the suitability of bio-bitumen in road construction, the minister said in the Rajya Sabha.
Bitumen is a black solid or viscous substance obtained from petroleum and is used for covering roads. Bio-bitumen, also known as bio-asphalt, is a sustainable, petroleum-free alternative to traditional bitumen derived from fossil fuels.
Envisaged benefits of bio-bitumen are reduction in bitumen import, reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and opportunity for farmers and MSMEs to generate revenue and provide employment, Gadkari said.
Speaking in the House, the minister said that in 2023-24, India used 88 lakh tonnes of bitumen and this year it is expected to reach 100 lakh tonnes.
He said India has the largest road network in the world and 90% of roads use a bitumen layer.
India imports almost half of its bitumen needs which cost Rs 25,000-Rs 30,000 crore.
“Ministry has sanctioned two (02) research projects, one each to IIT Roorkee, and Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) New Delhi in collaboration with Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) Dehradun to evaluate bio-bitumen in the laboratory and to assess the long-term performance of pavement constructed with bio-bitumen,” Gadkari said.
The two are using crop residue, known as parali, for developing bio-bitumen. The burning of this parali is among the major causes of winter air pollution in and around the national capital.
The minister said that the use of bio-bitumen will not just aid the environment but also in fighting air pollution in Delhi and the nearby cities, while at the same time, it will help farmers earn some extra money. Further, it will also allow India to save on import costs, he said.
Gadkari added that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has also contemplated trials with bio-bitumen on the Jorabat-Shillong section of NH-40.
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