Urban Governance
India’s urbanisation is progressing at an unprecedented pace, with the number of statutory towns growing significantly in recent years.
The Central government has decided to implement the pre-cast concrete policy in the construction of National Highways. With this policy, cheap and durable national highways, bridges, and road-over bridges (ROBs) will be constructed rapidly in the country.
The Precast (structure made in factories) concrete will avoid brakes on the pace of road projects in monsoon. At the same time, the common people will get relief from air pollution due to construction activities at the project site.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has asked stakeholders to give their suggestions on National Highway Precast Concrete Policy by May 31. After this the said policy will be implemented in the highway sector.
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A senior official of the ministry said at present, construction companies set up their yard factories near the project sites to build national highways, bridges, and ROBs. But in the new policy of precast concrete, the said companies will have to take material made from precast concrete manufacturers.
He informed The Statesman that pre-cast concrete will have to be procured from the factory yard located 100 km away from the project site. However, it will be kept in mind that the manufacturer will be able to deliver the material at a fixed time and rate. Alternatively, the construction company can prepare the material by building its own yard, but for this, it will have to submit that it will be cheaper than pre-cast concrete technology. The final decision on this will be taken by the concerned engineer, the officer.
He said the concrete structure made by pre-cast technique is much cheaper and construction work can be done faster. In this technique, all-weather and fast concrete structures can be prepared. Its quality is reliable and better. This results in low carbon emissions and uniformity. There is no air pollution at the project site. Precast concrete technology will play an important role in increasing the pace of projects in the highway sector. This will give a boost to the MSME sector.
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