Latest news with #LightDieselOil
Time of India
10-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Upgraded hotmix plant functional, yet tender floated to asphalt road
1 2 3 Nagpur: Even as the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) recently commissioned its hotmix plant at Hingna after a long-overdue upgrade, the public works department (PWD) floated a tender for Rs24.73 lakh to asphalt a road in Shanti Niketan Colony in the Laxmi Nagar zone. The move sparked criticism, as the internal tar road is in a poor condition and residents were demanding immediate repairs, which the plant was expected to handle efficiently. Just a few weeks ago, a committee led by officiating chief engineer Manoj Talewar certified the new counter flow drum mix plant as fully functional. A comprehensive inspection on May 5, conducted by a six-member committee including officials from mechanical and hotmix departments, found all components such as the thermodrum unit, bitumen storage tanks, cold feeder and control cabin systems aligned with technical specifications. During the trial, the plant produced a batch of bituminous mix (BM), which was found satisfactory. Only a minor issue of noise from the thermodrum's chain drive was noted and rectified with lubrication. Additionally, samples were tested and calibrated by a third-party lab, confirming the quality output of the plant. With civic complaints rising and citizens demanding better infrastructure, NMC's decision to outsource a road project even after certifying its plant as operational raised serious concerns about administrative efficiency and public accountability. However, Talewar defended the tender stating that "the plant has only recently become operational and is yet to run at full capacity." Ironically, the audit report signed by Talewar himself had confirmed the smooth functioning of the plant. The new plant, capable of producing 60-90 tonnes of asphalt per hour (up from the previous 30 tonnes), was projected to significantly reduce NMC's dependency on private contractors. Citing an example, an NMC official said that a 700-metre stretch at Manish Nagar was asphalted at a cost of Rs35 lakh by deploying services of the old hot-mix plant last year, while private firms would have quoted Rs1.5 crore for the same work. The 25-year-old unit was dismantled and the upgraded facility was completed ahead of its May deadline by installing a modern Light Diesel Oil (LDO)-based drum mix plant. It was seen as a major step toward achieving transparency, quality control, and cost-effectiveness in roadwork, especially considering that NMC spends over Rs95 crore annually on outsourcing road repairs, compared to Rs5 crore on in-house operations. A pre-monsoon survey by the hot mix department identified 497 potholes and 159 bad roads across the 10 zones, excluding roads managed by other agencies like the Nagpur Improvement Trust and the National Highways Authority of India. Subsequently, it sought details of bad roads from the zonal offices. None of the zones have so far submitted the lists of bad roads or potholes with locations, confirmed the official.
New Indian Express
23-04-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Plea against using furnace oil to build roads: Madras High Court issues notice
MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Monday issued notice to the state government on a petition filed by a contractor seeking a direction to the state highways and rural development department not to insist on using furnace oil for laying roads or any other purposes. The petitioner said use of furnace oil is prohibited by central and state pollution control boards. The petitioner, S Subram of Pudukkottai, stated that Supreme Court had passed a series of orders in 2017 and 2018, directing all state governments and union territories to ban usage of pet coke and furnace oil, based on a report filed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) that the two ingredients lead to emission of Sulphur diOxide in high concentration. A similar direction was issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in an identical case, he added. The CPCB also issued a communication on August 23, 2019, directing all states and union territories to prepare policy on use of Pet Coke and Furnace Oil, following which the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), in 2024, released revised guidelines stating that instead of fuels such as solvents, industrial wastes and firewood, all hot mix plants should use diesel and Light Diesel Oil (LDO). While many contractors follow the guidelines, authorities of rural development and highways departments continue to float tenders by preparing estimates only based on the cost of furnace oil, instead of diesel or LDO, forcing contractors to use furnace oil instead of diesel or LDO, the price of which is 15% higher than the former. According to the petitioner, furnace oil is used to fire hot mix plants that are used for mixing stone aggregates with bitumen. A bench of justices J Nisha Banu and S Srimathy issued notice to the authorities concerned and adjourned the case.
