Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Mar 30: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, and MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh right this moment mentioned that crop waste or ‘parali’ converted to bio-butamen can save round Rs 40,000 cr import yearly for India and in addition keep away from air air pollution attributable to ‘Parali’ burning. This has been made doable utilizing indigenous bio-bitumen expertise developed by CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) New Delhi and CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP), Dehradun, he added.
The Minister mentioned that even partial substitution of standard bitumen with bio-bitumen will considerably lower import dependence, strengthen financial resilience, and be certain that infrastructure improvement stays insulated from world provide disruptions.
Dr Jitendra Singh was addressing a Technology Transfer occasion organised by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for large-scale trade adoption of the indigenously developed “Bio-Bitumen from Lignocellulosic Biomass” expertise.
The occasion was additionally graced by Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan, together with Director General, CSIR & Secretary, DSIR Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, senior officers, scientists, trade representatives, and stakeholders.
Dr. Jitendra Singh described the initiative as a transformative step that converts a significant environmental problem right into a nationwide financial alternative.
He mentioned that India produces practically 600 million tonnes of crop residue yearly, a lot of which is burnt, main to extreme air air pollution. At the identical time, India consumes about 88 lakh tonnes of bitumen yearly, practically 50-58% of which is imported at a value of ?25,000-30,000 crore. He mentioned this expertise bridges each challenges concurrently by changing agricultural waste right into a useful useful resource for highway development.
Calling it a real instance of “Waste to Wealth”, Dr. Jitendra Singh mentioned that the idea of waste is quickly changing into irrelevant in a contemporary, innovation-driven economic system. “There is no such thing as waste, every resource has value if harnessed through science and technology,” he mentioned, including that agricultural residue like paddy straw can now turn out to be a supply of earnings for farmers as an alternative of a explanation for air pollution.
Highlighting the multi-dimensional affect of the expertise, Dr. Jitendra Singh mentioned it delivers on a number of nationwide priorities concurrently, lowering air pollution from stubble burning, decreasing import payments, supporting farmers with extra earnings, selling round economic system, and advancing India’s Net Zero commitments. He additionally identified that the success of this initiative displays robust convergence between ministries, establishments, and trade, demonstrating the federal government’s strategy of breaking silos and fostering public-private partnerships.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan described the initiative as a historic convergence of agriculture, science, and trade. He mentioned the expertise offers a sensible and scalable resolution to stubble burning whereas growing farmers’ earnings and lowering environmental injury. He added that within the present world situation, self-reliance in essential sectors like infrastructure is important, and improvements like bio-bitumen will play an important position in reaching that purpose.
Director General, CSIR & Secretary, DSIR Dr. N. Kalaiselvi highlighted the fast tempo of adoption of the expertise, stating that inside a brief span, a number of industries have already taken it up, with manufacturing and area implementation underway.