Sustainable debris management for rural road development in Maharashtra

Nagpur: The state govt is encouraging village level administration to follow its policy of reusing debris for pandhan (farm roads).

The schemes, Gaalmukt Dharan and Gaalyukt Shivar Yojana, generate substantial silt from water body maintenance which is unsuitable for agricultural purposes, but this material strengthens Pandhan road foundations.

Additionally, construction waste, is converted into road base materials. This practice addresses illegal dumping concerns whilst reducing building expenses.

Sources told TOI that the state govt has asked zilla parishads all over to follow the policy in view of Maharashtra's sustainable development efforts.

The govt has instructed ZPs to work alongside Gram Panchayats to ensure proper debris distribution and maintain quality standards. Whilst transport costs and limited public understanding remain concerns, this initiative supports Maharashtra's sustainability objectives, improving rural accessibility and waste management simultaneously.

The debris is primarily generated while desilting natural water bodies. Apart from this, demolition, and sometimes construction activity, also produces waste. A ZP official said, "One may wonder how in construction, when you are building something new, would debris be created. It happens regularly because bricks are broken and discarded, the ground is dug to lay foundation, stone slabs are trimmed and that material is also discarded. When you look at any construction site, there will be a large quantity of debris. This can be used for farm road construction."