Context :
India
becomes dumping ground of waste tyres, need to act fast: ATMA ………. BL
/ 05 Feb 2024
Extract :
Dumping of waste tyres into India is not only unsafe but is also
polluting the environment. Between April and November 2023, around 8.8 lakh
million tonnes of scrapped tyres were brought from developed countries which
are burnt or retreated for selling into the aftermarket, which are very unsafe,
Anshuman Singhania, Chairman of Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association
(ATMA) said.
And, if such activities
continue then India will become a dumping ground of the world, and anyone can
imagine the consequences, he said.
“These scrapped tyres are
coming freely from the United Kingdom followed by West Asia and Europe. There
are associations for disposal of scrapped tyres in those countries so they have
to find solutions and one of them is dumping to some country which is willing
to accept, and India is in one of them,” Singhania told businessline.
Also, he
said that in the garb of scrapped tyres/ baled tyres from the world over, which
are coming in millions, few of them (around 10-15 per cent) are sold to
replacement markets and they are fitted in the vehicles, especially the taxi
segment in the passenger vehicles. The rest are burnt for pyrolysis, which is a
big concern for the environment.
“The other area is that some of the tyres are coming in the wrong
classified court. In the garb of any tyres there are a lot of truck radial
tyres which are coming in so for that too we have taken up with the government
and they are very well supporting us to curb this,” he said.
It is happening across India and the major States which have taken
up such jobs include Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya
Pradesh.
“We are also working with the Central Pollution Control Board,
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and they are putting a lot
of structures to control with regulations and coming out with new regulations
to ensure that such units are environment friendly,” Singhania noted.
He said
that the industry body has also suggested that instead of baled tyres, they
should be cut into pieces before they are brought into India so that they can’t
be sold to the replacement markets at least for reuse because of safety
concerns. “We are right now talking to the Ministry of Environment for a strict
regulation and also the National Green Tribunal,” he said.
Prashanth Doreswamy, President and Country Head of Continental
(Tires) India, also said that it would be good if such regulations come to
curtail the imports of waste tyres into India.
“Certainly, I think it will be good if some regulations are
worked...it will help the environment...that is why we manufacture all our
tyres that are sold here, except a few two-wheeler tyres, which come imported
directly with the original equipment manufacturer,” Doreswamy said.
My Take :
Ø That figure of 8.8 lakh million tonnes of
scrapped tyre import during April – Nov 2023 , seems unbelievably high .
Ø Most
likely figure is around 3 lakh tonnes
Dear Shri Nitin Gadkariji
( Minister for Highways )
Ø I urge you to consider this as an “ opportunity “ to be exploited by shredding / reprocessing such tyres and using these for construction of Asphalt / Cement
Concrete , roads / highways
Following technologies are
available ( either established or under development ):
Shredded Rubber as Asphalt Modifier:
Crumb rubber from used tyres can be mixed with asphalt, enhancing its flexibility,
durability, and resistance to cracking. This reduces asphalt consumption and
potentially lowers
construction costs.
Studies suggest a 10-30% asphalt content
reduction and improved road performance.
Rubberized Concrete:
Incorporating crumb rubber into concrete mixtures can lead to lighter, more flexible, and
noise-reducing pavements.
However, this technology is still evolving and requires further research and
optimization.
Rubber Content per Kilometer:
Different road construction methods
utilize varying crumb rubber proportions. Research suggests 1.5-2.5 tonnes of crumb rubber per
kilometer for asphalt modification and up to 10 tonnes for rubberized concrete
(still under development).
Dear Shri Gadkariji ,
I am sure that , in addition to these 3 lakh tonnes
( 300,000 tonnes ) of imported tyres , a huge amount must be getting discarded
from India-made tyres , every year
Assuming a figure of usage of scrapped tyres at 10
tonnes / km of Concrete roads , this would suffice for 30,000 Km of roads EVERY
YEAR ! If used for construction of
Asphalt roads , this would suffice for 120,000 Km of asphalt roads EVERY
YEAR !
With regards,
Hemen
Parekh
www.HemenParekh.ai / 09
Sept 2024
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