Sustainability: India build world’s first crash barrier from bamboo

New Delhi: As we are all aware, sustainability will become the norm in the future. To set the record straight, India constructed a 200-meter-long bamboo crash barrier in Maharashtra.

The crash barrier has been installed on a highway connecting Chandrapur and Yavatmal districts in Maharashtra, which is the “world’s first” such exercise.

Calling it a “remarkable achievement” for the country and its bamboo sector, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said this crash barrier offers a perfect alternative to steel and addresses environmental concerns.

In a tweet, Mr Gadkari said, “An extraordinary accomplishment towards achieving #AatmanirbharBharat has been made with the development of the world’s first 200-meter-long Bamboo Crash Barrier, which has been installed on the Vani-Warora Highway.

The Minister of Road Transport and Highways said this bamboo crash barrier has been christened as “Bahu Balli”.

“It underwent rigorous testing at various government-run institutions, such as the National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX) in Pithampur, Indore, and was rated as Class 1 during the Fire Rating Test conducted at the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) in Roorkee. Additionally, it has also been accredited by the Indian Road Congress,” the minister said in another tweet.

“The bamboo species used in the making of this barrier is Bambusa Balcoa, which has been treated with creosote oil and coated with recycled High-Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE). This achievement is remarkable for the bamboo sector and India as a whole, as this crash barrier offers a perfect alternative to steel and addresses environmental concerns and their aftermath,” he said.

Furthermore, it is a rural and agriculture-friendly industry in itself, making it an even more significant milestone,” Mr Gadkari added.

Centre had proposed replacing steel barriers with bamboo crash barriers in an innovative way to bring down fatalities in road accidents.

The cost-effective crash barrier has been manufactured by Ganesh Verma of Bhavya Srishti Udyog Private Ltd, Bemetara, Chhattisgarh.

India is the world’s second-largest cultivator of bamboo after China, with 136 species and 23 genera spread over 13.96 million hectares.

As per the Union Ministry of Agriculture, India’s annual bamboo production is estimated at 3.23 million tonnes.

Madhya Pradesh is the largest producer of bamboo in India, followed by Maharashtra, Arunachal Pradesh, and Odisha as per the 2017 Forest Survey of India report. It is worth noting that more than 50% of the bamboo species are found in northeast India alone.