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Rajasthan Pollution Control Board gets tech to tackle Kota stone slurry issue

The PCB has funded and acquired technology from Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee to produce paver blocks, flooring tiles and light weight concrete blocks from the slurry of Kota stone.

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The Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board, seems to have turned venture investor in an attempt to meet the environmental challenge posed by  the trade of stone cutting which is flourishing in Rajasthan. The PCB has funded and acquired technology from Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee to produce paver blocks, flooring tiles and light weight concrete blocks from the slurry of Kota stone. 

“Acquiring the technology was important as we now offer it for free to the industrialists willing to venture in this direction. Five of such industries are being established in Kota,” said Ajay Kumar Gupta, member secretary of the pollution control board. 

As Rajasthan has a major share of stone cutting trade in the country, issue of stone slurry is a rising concern. Among these Kota stone contributes to a huge amount, there is around 25 million tonnes of Kota stone slurry accumulated at eight dumping areas of Kota and Jhalawar. A million tonnes is added each year by 3,000 stone cutting units in districts. 

This piling stone dust stands as a pollution threat for the land, air and water of the nearby areas. The state pollution control board had collaborated with the central government institute, CBRI for a technological solution. The results had them motivated to further bear the cost of technology transfer to potential users.The board has funded Rs15 lakh for the initial study and following the results another Rs 20 lakh were paid to acquire its distribution license. 

As of now it has been the stone crushing units that have come forward to adopt the technology, however, the RSPCB intends to involve several construction material production units existing in the area too. 

“Developed by CBRI the paver blocks, tiles and construction blocks are tested to be in accordance to the building material norms, the existing production units can adopt this technology without major efforts,” said Bhuvnesh Mathur a senior official at the RSPCB. 

To promote the technology implementation, the PCB is also offering financial assistance to entrepreneurs aspiring to establish their startups in the sector. Meanwhile, the use of the technology is being also sought to address the issue of stone slurry of other stone and mineral industries. Possibilities are also being explored to use it to manufacture construction sand as replacement of river sand.

SEEKING SOLUTION

This piling stone dust stands as a pollution threat for the land, air and water of the nearby areas. The state pollution control board had collaborated with the central government institute, CBRI for a technological solution. 

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