Coir Geotextiles gets the nod for Rural Road Construction

Recently National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency has said that Coir Geotextiles will be used for the construction of rural roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-III (PMGSY-III)

Coir Geotextile

• It is a permeable fabric, natural, strong, highly durable, resistant to rots, moulds and moisture, free from any microbial attack.
• As per the PMGSY new technology guidelines for road construction, 15% length in each batch of proposals is to be constructed using new technologies.
• Out of this 5% of roads are to be constructed using IRC accredited technology.
• The Indian Roads Congress (IRC) has now accredited coir Geotextiles for construction of rural roads.
• As per these instructions, 5% length of the rural roads under PMGSY-III will be constructed using Coir Geotextiles.

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-lll

• The Scheme was announced by the Finance Minister in Budget Speech for the year 2018-19.

Features of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-lll (PMGSY-III):

• Under the PMGSY-III Scheme, it is proposed to consolidate 1, 25, 000 Km road length in the States.
• It involves the consolidation of Through Routes and Major Rural Links connecting habitations to Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs), Higher Secondary Schools and Hospitals.
• The funds would be shared in the ratio of 60:40 between the Centre and State for all States except for 8 North-Eastern states and Himachal Pradesh & Uttarakhand for which it is 90:10.

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-I

• It was launched in December

Objective

• To provide single all-weather road connectivity to eligible unconnected habitation of designated population size (500+ in plain areas and 250+ in North-East, hill, tribal and desert areas as per Census, 2001) for overall socio-economic development of the areas.

Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Area (RCPLWEA)

• The government had also launched Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism affected Areas in the year 2016 as a separate vertical under PMGSY.
• It helps to provide all-weather road connectivity with necessary culverts and cross-drainage structures in 44 districts (35 are worst LWE affected districts, and 09 are adjoining districts), which are critical from security and communication point of view.
• Under the Scheme, 5,066 Km road length has been sanctioned.

Indian Roads Congress

• The Indian Roads Congress (IRC) is the Apex Body of Highway Engineers in the country.
• It was set up in December 1934 on the recommendations of the Indian Road Development Committee best known as Jayakar Committee set up by the Govt. of India with the objective of Road Development in India.

UPSC