The Hindu 03.05.2013
Rs. 50-crore project to use plastics in laying of roads
Additional Rs. 50 crore for lake purification in State.
Enthused by the quality and durability of roads laid
using waste plastics, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Thursday unveiled
yet another project to make use of plastics for the laying of roads at a
cost of Rs. 50 crore.
Making a statement in the
Assembly, she also announced a Rs. 50-crore scheme for the following: to
purify water in the lakes in the State through microbial culture, using
non-pathogenic bacteria; to rejuvenate plants in Shola forests and to
implement schemes through Ooty lake protection fund and the Gulf of
Mannar Biosphere Reserve Trust.
The Chief Minister
said the government allotted Rs. 153.50 crore in 2011-12 for laying tar
roads using plastics in rural areas, covering 1,255 km. So far, 1,002 km
distance of road has been laid. This year also 1000 km will be covered.
As
far as urban areas are concerned, Rs. 153.61 crore was allotted. Again,
in 2012-13, the government released Rs. 219.58 crore for laying 499 km
roads. The government has issued orders for laying 100 km in 2013-14.
Besides
making use of the Rs. 50 crore from the Environment Protection and
Renewable Energy Development Fund, roads covering 446 km were renovated.
In 2012-13, about 580 km long roads were covered.
Lake purification
Ms. Jayalalithaa said microbial culture would be used to purify the water in lakes.
“It
is a cost-effective method and can increase the Dissolved Oxygen and
reduce the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD),
nitrogen and phosphorus,” said R. Elangovan, executive engineer of the
Public Works Department.
He said the method proved effective in Ooty Lake and the bacteria were available in liquid and powder forms.
“Though there are 10 strains,
Bacillus
species,
Klebsiella
species and
Pseudomonas
species are widely used,” Mr Elangovan explained.
New TNCB buildings
The
Chief Minister announced new buildings for Tamil Nadu Pollution Control
Board (TNPCB) offices in Sivaganga, Dindigul, Namakkal, and
Virudhunagar districts at a cost of Rs. 12 crore.
She also extended the housing loan facility to the TNPCB workers, which will benefit 700 workers.