INDIA’s Public Works Department (PWD) proposed to lay roads in Kerala with Rubber Modified Bitumen, but due to unavailability of the mix, this proposal is put off for later, according to reports.
India’s leading oil refinery, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), will be providing the bitumen, says PWD Secretary, T O Sooraj. “Currently, sufficient mix is not available for the construction of roads,” he explains.
K N Rajagopal, MP raised concerns on the steps being taken to promote rubberisation of roads in the country, to which, Oscar Fernandes, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, commented that the Indian Road Congress had published ‘Guidelines on use of polymer and rubber modified bitumen in road construction.
The Ministry has not adopted these guidelines as yet. Rajagopal had pointed out that if natural rubber is used for the construction of roads, the fall in price of the commodity can be checked to a certain extent. The conventional roads and highways, which are generally constructed with bitumen is always susceptible to damages, especially during rains.
However, if the government decides to use the latex mix bitumen from the plant in Kochi, any quantity can be supplied for construction of roads in Kerala, sources from the BPCL said.