The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has made another remarkable achievement to promote Aatmanirbhar Bharat. The ministry has installed a 200-meter-long Bamboo Crash Barrier on the Vani-Warora Highway in Maharashtra. The highway connects the Chandrapur and Yavatmal districts of the state. Hailing the achievement, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari in a tweet 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.”
What is ‘Bahu Balli’?
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).
Before installation, the ‘Bahu Balli’ underwent rigorous testing at various government-run institutions such as Indore’s Pithampur-based National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX). It was rated as Class 1 during the Fire Rating Test conducted at the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) in Uttarakhand’s Roorkee. The Bamboo Crash Barrier has also been formally recognized by the Indian Road Congress.
India has the second-largest road network in the world. The government is focusing on various alternatives to reduce the carbon footprint in the sector.
Environmental friendly:-
This Bamboo Crash Barrier has been christened as ‘Bahu Balli’. The barrier has provided an alternative to steel and also addresses environmental concerns. The achievement is remarkable for the bamboo sector as well as for the country also. This crash barrier offers a perfect alternative to steel and addresses environmental concerns and their aftermath.
Furthermore, it is a rural and agriculture-friendly industry in itself making it an even more significant milestone. The recycling value of the bamboo barrier is 50-70 per cent whereas that of steel barriers is 30-50 per cent.