In a move to improve the connectivity of villages, the Rural Development Ministry has asked governments to start using waste material and locally produced fibres to build rural roads -- a cost-cutting measure that will definitely add some value to and boost the local economy. The cost of constructing rural roads is between Rs. 25 lakh and Rs. 80 lakh per km. According to a senior official, the plan, to be implemented under the government’s Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana scheme, is expected to result in savings of 5-3 per cent.

In the past, the concept of making roads from waste materials was deemed successful in rural areas. For instance, over the last few years, 55-60 roads aggregating about 500 km in length have been built in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat using waste materials. Similar roads are expected to come up in Kerala and Mizoram this year. While a third-party performance report of these roads is awaited, the rural development ministry has gone ahead and notified its guidelines for laying such roads.