AGARTALA, May 21 (TIWN): Union Textile Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar on Wednesday pushed to adopt Govt. of India prompting Geotechnical textile for construction of vulnerable roads in the North eastern region to ensure better durability at an affordable cost in North-eastern states. Minister also proposed to fund for the ambitious project sponsored by the Govt. of India. Laying foundation stone for apparel and garment manufacturing centre and silk printing units at Agartala, Minister Gangwar said Ministry of Textile has been promoting Geo-Textile for road building, hill slope protection and lining of water reservoirs for hill regions with an objective to restrict damage to life and property due to landslides”.The technology is not new for the country but the new government at the centre has attempted to use it for development of road infrastructure in hilly states,” Gangwar said.He however, pointed out that the ministry of textile launched the ambitious project to promote usage of geo-textile technology in Imphal two months ago.The scheme has set the modalities to grant additional fund to be used for implementation of the technology in the normal road building works. A fund of Rs 427 crore has been earmarked for promotion of Geotextiles in the north-eastern states in current fiscal, he stated.

Geotextiles belong to a class of technical textiles that have varied applications in geotechnical engineering. The engineered fabric improves soil behaviour through separation, filtration, drainage and reinforcement.

Developed countries invariably use geotextiles made out of man-made fibres in road construction, for control of erosion, consolidation of soil and stabilisation of slopes.