Lok Sabha Question No. 4294 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-18
Subject: Technological Contributions of CSIR–CRRI and Traffic Management Studies for Rajkot
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Parshottambhai Rupala

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## DEPARTMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4294 (ANSWERED ON 18.03.2026)

## TECHNOLOGICAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF CSIR-CRRI AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT STUDIES FOR RAJKOT

4294.  Shri Parshottambhai Rupala:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the major technological achievements of the CSIR-Central Road Research Institute during the last three years and the manner in which these innovations have been translated into field-level implementation by Central and State agencies;
- (b) whether CRRI has conducted or proposed comprehensive traffic and mobility  studies  for  Rajkot  and  its  surrounding  regions  to  manage increasing  business,  industrial,  pilgrim  and  tourist  traffic  including assessments of road capacity, congestion points, safety concerns, lastmile connectivity, parking demand and future growth projections and if
- so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the steps taken or proposed by the Government to further strengthen, modernise and expedite CRRI's research?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY & EARTH SCIENCES

(DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) CSIR-Central Road Research Institute has developed and implemented several technologies and solutions in the road and transport sector during the last three years. These include: Steel Slag  Road  Technology  for  sustainable  road  construction  using steel industry by-products; ECOFIX, a ready-to-use pothole repair material  for  rapid  maintenance;  Modified  Mix  Seal  Surfacing (MSS+) for sustainable road construction; PATCHFILL, a mechanized pothole repair machine for efficient pothole repairs;

Mobile Cold Mixer-cum-Paver (MCMP) for on-site preparation and laying  of  cold  bituminous  mixes;  REJUBIT  and  REJUPAVE  for rejuvenation and recycling of aged bituminous pavements; Plastic Waste-based  Geocell  Technology  for  strengthening  pavement layers; and frequency-based noise barrier technology for mitigation  of  traffic  noise  in  urban  corridors.  In  addition,  CSIRCRRI has been undertaking comprehensive mobility plans, traffic and  transportation  studies,  road  safety  audits  and  intelligent transport solutions such as iRASTE for improving traffic management and road safety. Some of these technologies have been transferred to industries for commercialization, while their field-level  implementation  has  been  facilitated  in  collaboration with agencies such as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and various State Public Works  Departments  (PWDs).  The  brief  details  of  the  aforesaid technologies are at Annexure - I.

- (b) Although  CSIR-CRRI  has  not  conducted  comprehensive  traffic and mobility studies for Rajkot and its surrounding  areas,  the institute  recently  completed  a  sponsored  project  focusing  on noise pollution in the city. The project was funded by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and launched in September 2022. The  study  titled  "Noise  Mapping,  Identification  of  Hotspots Violating  Prescribed  Norms  and  Mitigation  Plan  for  Ensuring Compliance with Noise Pollution Rules, 2000" covered four major cities,  namely,  Ahmedabad,  Surat,  Vadodara  and  Rajkot.  The final report has been submitted to GPCB.
- (c) The  Government  continues  to  support  and  strengthen  the research  and  technological  capabilities  of  CSIR-Central  Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) through funding support, modernization of laboratory and testing facilities, promotion of collaborative  and  sponsored  research  with  Central  and  State agencies,  and  encouragement  of  technology  development and commercialization. Efforts are also being made to facilitate pilot projects, field demonstrations and wider adoption of CSIR-CRRI technologies  by  industry  and  implementing  agencies,  while promoting advanced research in areas such as sustainable road materials,  pavement  recycling,  traffic  and  mobility  studies, intelligent transport systems and road safety.

*******

The  CSIR-Central  Road  Research  Institute  (CSIR-CRRI)  has  spearheaded  several  "Waste-to-Wealth"  and sustainable infrastructure technologies over the last three years. The brief summary of these achievements and their field-level implementation by Indian agencies is as under:

| Sustainable Pavement Materials &Waste Valorization   | Sustainable Pavement Materials &Waste Valorization                                                                                       | Sustainable Pavement Materials &Waste Valorization                                                                                                                                      |
|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S.No.                                                | Technology                                                                                                                               | Implementation                                                                                                                                                                          |
| 1.                                                   | ECOFIX (Steel Slag Pothole Mix): A ready- to-use repair mix using processed steel slag                                                   | Used for rapid/monsoon repairs across 11 Indian states (including Delhi, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu) and exported to Chicago, USA                                                      |
| 2.                                                   | Steel Slag Valorization: Processes industrial steel slag as a high-strength substitute for natural stone aggregates                      | Large-scale adoption in NH-66 (Mumbai-Goa), NH-53 (Gujarat), and strategic Border Roads in Arunachal Pradesh                                                                            |
| 3.                                                   | KrishiBind (Bio-Bitumen): Produces a renewable binder from agricultural waste (rice straw) to curb stubble burning                       | Tested on NH-6 (Meghalaya) and NH-44 (Maharashtra) to improve moisture resistance in highways                                                                                           |
| 4.                                                   | End-of-Life Plastic Modules: Modular road components made from recycled plastic                                                          | Demonstration sections at the DND-KMP Expressway and an Indian Army camp in Leh                                                                                                         |
| Advanced Recycling &Rejuvenation Technologies        | Advanced Recycling &Rejuvenation Technologies                                                                                            | Advanced Recycling &Rejuvenation Technologies                                                                                                                                           |
| 5.                                                   | REJUPAVE & REJUBIT: Bio-based modifiers that "refresh" aged bitumen, allowing for high-percentage Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) usage | REJUPAVE is widely used by the BRO for low- temperature paving in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. REJUBIT has covered 140 km of high- traffic corridors like the Chennai-Tirupati section |
| 6.                                                   | TERASURFACING: Thin surfacing using industrial wastes (slag, fly ash, marble dust)                                                       | Commercialized and implemented in Surat, Gujarat for sustainable urban road maintenance                                                                                                 |
| Specialized Surfacing &Stabilization                 | Specialized Surfacing &Stabilization                                                                                                     | Specialized Surfacing &Stabilization                                                                                                                                                    |
| 7.                                                   | MSS+ & MACROSURFACING: Cold-mix surfacing for rural roads (MSS+) and preventive maintenance for concrete roads (MACROSURFACING)          | MSS+ is active in PMGSY projects across five districts in UP; MACROSURFACING is used for rapid restoration of concrete pavements in Uttar Pradesh                                       |
| 8.                                                   | BSS101 & CGBR101: Specialized cementitious materials for soil stabilization and "semi-rigid" composite pavements                         | BSS101 used in NH sections near Kanpur and Shimla; CGBR101 (Cement Grouted Bituminous Mix) has been laid over 200 km in diverse climates from Mumbai (high rain) to Leh (extreme cold)  |
| Mechanization &Noise Mitigation                      | Mechanization &Noise Mitigation                                                                                                          | Mechanization &Noise Mitigation                                                                                                                                                         |
| 9.                                                   | PatchFILL (Machine &Mix): An indigenous pothole-filling machine and a two-pack quick- setting cold mix                                   | Machines deployed in Kerala and Delhi; Two- pack mix utilized by Pune Municipal Corporation and on the Delhi-Mathura Road                                                               |
| 10.                                                  | Mobile Cold Mixer-cum-Paver (MCMP): A mobile unit for on-site paving in remote areas                                                     | Prototype provided to the BRO for road works in the difficult terrains of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh                                                                              |
| 11.                                                  | Frequency-Based Noise Barriers: Patented barriers tailored to specific traffic noise frequencies                                         | Currently being installed along major road corridors in Delhi to mitigate urban noise pollution                                                                                         |