Singh suggests green rating for roads

 

The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) which is executing Zojila Tunnel project in Jammu and Kashmir is thinking on lines of using geothermal energy for powering energy needs of tunnels as well as for heating them in winters.

“In Zojila, we are thinking, we have not yet succeeded, (about) use of geo-thermal energy for powering the energy needs of tunnels as well as for heating the tunnels in winters,” said managing director Nagendra Nath Sinha.

Sinha disclosed this in his inaugural address at 4th ASSOCHAM International Conference – ROADTECH: Sustainable Roads and Highways on 4 Sept 2018.

He was highlighting the various efforts being made by the NHIDCL towards adoption of sustainable technologies in construction of roads and highways.

“We need to build our practices, technologies, operations, calculations in a manner in which resources are put to best use,” said Sinha.

“We should actually think of how do we minimise or how can we build highways which do not take any natural resource, if that can be achieved that would be a really great thing in the way we develop our highways.”

He further said that unwillingness of contractors and consultants, lack of skilled workmen, life-cycle approach are certain key challenges in way of use of sustainable technologies.

“If only we had a kind of a rating system whereby ratings could have been assigned to the highways on the entire life-cycle use of natural material, energies and other such factors, then the contractors, agencies would have been encouraged and incentivised to use more sustainable technologies,” said Sinha.

As part of his special address at the ASSOCHAM conference, Prabhakar Singh, director general, Central Public Works Department (CPWD) informed that his organisation was moving ahead towards building net-positive energy buildings.

He suggested that a green rating system for roads on the same lines as GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) for buildings.

“It will give a scientific basis for deciding as to which competing technology should be adopted when more than such technologies fulfil the engineering and economic criteria,” said Singh.

ASSOCHAM secretary general, Uday Kumar Varma also shared his perspective on issues pertaining to technology and safety in road and highway construction sector.

He said that there is an urgent need to address the challenge of developing an efficient public transport system in the country.

In his address, S.K. Nirmal, secretary general, Indian Roads Congress (IRC) talked about the need for sustainable technologies keeping in mind interests of future generations.

He also said that IRC had taken up new codes and guidelines especially aimed at addressing needs of new and green technologies. fiinews.com