{
  "id": 11190663,
  "title": "Gadkari backs IIT tech; waste plastic used in bitumen for NH-44 for first time",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/gadkari-backs-iit-tech-waste-plastic-used-in-bitumen-for-nh-44-for",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-01T12:31:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/nitin-gadkari-led-ministry-backs-iit-technology-of-using-waste-plastic-in-bitumen-for-national-highways-indias-first-nh-44-pilot-stretch-laid-new-method-could-cut-bitumen-use-4-and-costs-20/articleshow/134612492.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "The Nitin Gadkari-led Road Transport Ministry has made history by incorporating waste plastic into the bitumen used for constructing a stretch of national highway NH-44 for the first time. This innovative approach, developed by IIT (BHU) in Varanasi, could reduce India's dependence on imported bitumen while providing a solution to the growing issue of plastic waste. The pilot project, located in Jhansi, utilizes a wet mix of waste plastic with bitumen, which could lower conventional bitumen consumption by around 4% and potentially reduce costs by 20% compared to traditional methods. Officials are optimistic about the technology's benefits, including improved resistance to rutting and moisture damage, as well as the creation of a valuable use for plastic waste.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}