Cement, Energy and Environment

Special attention must be given to the overall design of the pavement system for pervious concrete to perform as desired. Proper engineering of the substrate beneath the pavement is essential. Conclusion Pervious concrete has emerged as a wonder material which has integrated paving and percolation that allow for maintaining/improving natural permeability of the ground to recharge ground water table, thereby reducing quantity and pollution load of stormwater. Although in India there are no such regulations in force by environmental planning agencies or local municipal corporations that favor the use of pervious concrete in different potential fields, even seeing the benefits offered by the material, it will be in favor to the environmental health of our country to promote the technology for its widespread use. In order to improve the durability of pervious concrete pavements not only must the technology or state of the knowledge be advanced, but in addition, that knowledge must be transferred to those doing the work, so that the advancement becomes state of the practice. This implementation of the results of research into construction practices has been a challenge that has often lagged considerably behind the actual technical advancements. Research projects need to be developed and conducted with implementation of the results in mind. Opportunity should provided to the existing technical work force to observe and understand the material already laid to service, Training of academician and practicing engineers is of vital importance. Different Works Departments of Central and State Government, local Municipal and other development authorities should act it include the material in their Specifications and Schedule of Rates. Projects using this material may also be offered some credit. This may certainly go in a long way to lead towards sustainable development of the country. Courtesy: ClOG Journal "Nirman Udyog" July 2010, Pp46-48 SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE MAJOR PORTS TO BE LINKED WITH RAIL, FOUR LANE ROADS The government plans to have at each major port a minimum four-lane road connectivity and a double line rail connectivity by March 2012, says an official data. In all, 276 projects costing about Rs. 55,804 crore have been identified, of which 48 projects have been completed, 70 are under implementation and 89 projects are under planning, according to data from the shipping ministry. The projects are part of the government's national maritime development programme, a Rs. 61 ,000-crore project to boost infrastructure at ports. India has 12 major ports -Kandla, Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru, Marmagao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Kolkata Haldia, Paradip, Visakhpatnam, Chennai and Tuticorin. These ports handle close to 72% of the total sea borne traffic. The traffic at major ports in 2011-12 is projected at 615.70 million tonnes and a capacity of about 800 million tonnes is required to meet it. Courtesy: The Economic Times New Delhi, May 10, 2010. INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS TO HIT 10 PER CENT OF GOP IN 2012-17 The government expects infrastructure investment of close to 10 per cent of gross domestic product in the 12 th Five Year Plan starting April 2012, with underlying assumptions of 9 per cent GDPP growth and faster award of projects in the developing of ports and roads. The projected investment in the next Plan is considerably higher than the new estimate of 7.55 per cent of GOP in the ongoing Plan period. Thanks to massive private investments in telecommunication and oil & gas pipelines, the target for the current Plan will be nearly achieved. This is despite some slippages in investments in roads and ports in the initial years of the Plan. Here too, afresh momentum has recently become visible. "The economy will enter the 11 1 h Plan in a much stronger position as far as infrastructure is concerned than existed at the start of the 11'h Plan. The projections imply that investment in the infrastructure sector during Twelfth Plan would be of the order of a staggering Rs.40,99,240 crore or $1,024.81 billion. At least 50 per cent of this should come from the private sector," states 'Investment in Infrastructure, a Planning Commission report. 66