ISLAMABAD: With the aim to create a capital without unnecessary waste, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in collaboration with a private company has built the country’s first ever “eco-friendly” one-kilometre plastic road in Islamabad.
CDA Chairperson Amer Ali Ahmed while speaking to Bol News said that the capital city produced around 700 tonnes of waste including 150 tonnes of plastic waste which could be used for a “good purpose.” Plastic roads will not only help reduce costs but will also reduce pollution.
He further said that the world was using plastic waste to make roads. “The main objectives of such projects is to protect the environment.”
“We will expand this project in rural areas, urban centres and national highways as these roads have good stability,” he added.
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CDA spokesperson Rana Shakeel Asghar said the plastic road is one kilometre long and contains recycled plastic equivalent to more than one million plastic cups. Utilisation of recycled plastic will make the road water resistant and will increase the resistance of the roads to changes in weather. “Under the new formula, 10kg of plastic is used for 42kg bitumen,” he further said.
He explained that in the model project, the same technology could be used for construction of roads in rural areas.
“The Clean and Green Pakistan programme is a great initiative of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government. The CDA is doing its best to contribute its part for planting more trees and initiating mega eco-friendly projects.”
Dust reduction
Dr Mohammad Irfan Khan, a professor of environmental sciences at the International Islamic University Islamabad appreciated the project. “We have the worst air quality situation right now so plastic roads will be helpful in reducing dust. This way our air quality can be improved. Plastic waste not only badly hits rivers and streams but also affects soil fertility,” he remarked.
More plastic roads should be made. In this way we can get rid of plastic waste, he added. “Plastic roads have good stability as compared to normal roads.”
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According to a report, every year Pakistan produces around 55 billion plastic bags. Most of these single-use non-biodegradable bags reportedly find their way to open garbage dumps, landfill sites or municipal sewers. Pakistan has the highest percentage of mismanaging plastic in South Asia which is resulting in plastic pollution in the country. The country’s largest city Karachi produces more than 13,500 tonnes of waste daily.
Plastic roads are not new for the world. Neighbouring India has made over 60,000 miles of plastic roads. Several other countries including South Africa, Vietnam, Mexico, the Philippines, and the United States of America have built their first plastic roads recently.
