Minister for R&B, Gardens, Parks and Floriculture, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari today inspected ongoing road macadamization at Sonwar in which European Technology Evotherm is being used for the first time in J&K.Evotherm is a chemical which is being mixed with the bitumen allowing it to maintain required temperature in cold weather conditions till it is laid on the roads.Chief Engineer, R&B SK Razdan, Superintending Engineer, Nisar Ahmad, Executive Engineer, Nasir Ahmad besides other senior officers of R&B department and representatives of Hot-mix Plant owners were present on the spot.
Syed Altaf said that Evotherm technology will be used on the road projects in the areas where temperature dips October onwards to allow the hot mix plant holders to work during winters. He said the technology will extend working season in road projects by about two months and R&B department will be able to macadamize maximum roads even in cold weather conditions.
“Though the technology is being applied on experimental basis in the State but it is behaving positively” said the Minister, adding that experts of the department and the executing agencies are optimistic about its better results. He said this technology will allow macadamization of roads up to ending December in winter zone of the State. He said Shopian, Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Gurez and other hilly areas of Valley have been identified for bringing under the ambit of this technology.The Minister said that introduction of such technologies is imperative in view of the weather conditions of the State. He said the technology will bring revolutionary changes in Roads sector if it succeeds. He said the Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is also desirous to extend the working season in the Valley in order to complete maximum development projects especially coming up in road sector.
He said the technology will be beneficial for people, contractors as well as the Government.Interacting with the hot-mix plant holders, the Minister was told that technology is behaving positively and hopefully will yield good results. The Minister asked them to use the chemical as per fixed scale and seek expert guidance to maintain required temperature of the bitumen. He asked them to lay this bitumen only on dry surface not on wet roads.Earlier, the chief engineer, briefed the Minister about the functioning of the technology. He said the technology is being used in European countries having matching weather conditions akin to the Valley. “We are hopeful about its positive results” he maintained.