Makwanpur. Bagmati Province Chief Minister Indra Bahadur Baniya has pointed out the need to promote domestic production of cement and reduce the use of imported bitumen for road construction.

“Use of indigenous raw materials is inevitable for sustainable development and self-reliant economy. The displacement of bitumen is not only to promote the cement industry but also to reduce the overall trade deficit of the country. ”

Inaugurating a one-day training on design and construction of hard concrete for road aimed at sustainable development of road infrastructure, organized by Nepal Cement Producers’ Association and facilitated by IPTM Nepal Pvt Ltd here today, Minister Bhattarai said such programmes would be prioritized in upcoming budget in the upcoming budget in collaboration between Bagmati state government and the cement industry.

According to him, concrete roads should be constructed instead of blacktopped roads for maximum consumption of cement. Raghunanda Maru, president of Nepal Cement Manufacturers’ Association, said that sustainable road infrastructure development was a necessity as more than 90 percent of goods and passengers are transported by road.

Although the initial cost is slightly higher than that of blacktopped roads, concrete paving will result in lower maintenance cost, higher durability and reliability in the long run. According to him, Nepal imports bitumen worth more than Rs 11 billion every year. To replace it, it will be necessary to construct a concrete road with indigenous cement.

In the program, practical knowledge was imparted on the importance of concrete road technology, design concept, type, basis of selection, design principles, structural elements, role of joint and reinforcement, and construction process. The technical manpower involved in policy formulation, planning, design, supervision and formulation has been benefited from this.

On the occasion, engineer Arjun Jung Thapa gave a presentation on ‘Introduction to Hard Solidification and its Relevance in Nepal’. Stating the challenges seen in Nepal’s geography, weather conditions, weak sub-grades, increasing traffic pressure and heavy transportation, he said concrete road is a reliable alternative in the long run.

Executive Director of IPTM Nepal, Chuman Babu Shrestha, highlighted the importance of the training.