Context: Surat has become the first city in the country to get a processed steel slag (industrial waste) road.
The six-lane public road is a joint-venture of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), Union Ministry of Steel, NITI Ayog, and Arcelor Mitttal-Nippon Steel (AM/NS).
The thickness of the road is 30% lesser than normal ones, while its durability is much longerdue to the utilization of steel slag.
This project falls under the initiative of the Waste to Wealth and Clean India Campaign.
As steel slag in road construction ensures sustainable use of waste by reducing the reliance on perishable natural aggregates, it is a boon to India’s commitment to the UNSDG Goal- 9 for building resilient infrastructure.
Steel slag is a by-product of steel making, produced during the separation of the molten steel from impurities in steel-making furnaces.
Steel slags find application in the agricultural sector due to its ability to correct soil acidity.
It contains nutrients for the plants and as silicate fertilizer, it is capable of providing silicon to the plants.
As its use has lower carbon footprint, it finds major application in transportation industry, construction, cement production, wastewater and water treatment etc.