Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL), in partnership with ITC’s food division and radio channel Big FM, has initiated a drive urging citizens of Bengaluru to give their plastic waste to build 50-lane km roads within the BLR Airport campus.
The programme titled #PlasticBeku will be carried out at three BIAL-adopted schools. These include Bettakote Govt Lower Primary School, Vijayapura Government Higher Primary Girls’ Model School and Ardeshanahalli Government Lower Primary School along with and five panchayats of Devanahalli Taluk as well as in private schools and resident welfare associations in North Bengaluru. Soon, the programme will be extended to 20 more schools across Bengaluru.
After conducting a successful trial using a mix of plastic and bitumen, BIAL has now decided to go ahead with building polymersied roads that have a strong binding ability and can withstand extreme weather conditions. KK Plastic Waste Management, an agency that has the technology to mix waste plastic with bitumen, will carry out collection on an ongoing basis.
Commenting on the initiative, Tom Shimmin, chief project officer, BIAL, said, “As an airport, we generate a large quantum of waste each day. BIAL however, has been ahead of the curve in managing waste, including plastic, in a very responsible manner. Building durable roads with waste plastic is an easier and more ecologically efficient way to dispose plastic waste that is otherwise scattered all over. The #PlasticBeku campaign is one initiative that we believe can change the world.”
An official release states that the process of paving roads using waste plastic is in accordance with the guidelines laid out by the Indian Road Congress.
Namrata Bhandari
