Jitendra Singh pitches for use of steel slag for road building in hill states

New Delhi, Jan 20 (PTI) Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday made a strong pitch for the use of steel slag–based technology for sustainable road construction, particularly in difficult and hilly terrains.

He said that the use of steel slag in road building in the Himalayan states and Union Territories (UTs) was limited and needed to be accelerated through targeted outreach and training.

Addressing an event marking the signing of an agreement between the Technology Development Board (TDB) and Visakhapatnam-based industry partner Ramuka Global Eco Work Private Limited for the commercial production of ECOFIX, a ready-to-use pothole repair mix, the minister said workshops were now being organised to familiarise state agencies with the technology.

Singh said a two-day workshop on steel slag technology would be held next week in Jammu and Kashmir followed by other states and UTs aimed at sensitising engineers and officials from road construction departments about its application and benefits.

Tracing the journey of the technology, he said trials had begun around two years ago, with pilot projects in places such as Surat and parts of the Northeast, including Arunachal Pradesh.

Since then, steel slag–based road repair solutions have been used to varying extent in states such as Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh.

The occasion also marked the formalisation of an agreement enabling the commercial rollout of ECOFIX, a pothole repair mix developed by the CSIR–Central Road Research Institute (CRRI).

The product uses processed iron and steel slag, converting industrial waste into a construction input, and is designed as a ready-to-use mix that can be applied even in wet or waterlogged conditions, reducing repair time.

Officials said the technology has undergone laboratory validation and field testing under Indian climatic and traffic conditions, with studies indicating better durability and lower lifecycle costs compared to conventional repair methods.

The use of steel slag also aligns with broader circular economy goals by reducing dependence on natural aggregates and addressing the challenge of industrial waste disposal, the minister said. PTI SKU SKU KSS KSS