New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh on Tuesday pushed for faster adoption of steel slag roads in hilly and Himalayan regions, saying the sustainable technology remained underused despite clear benefits.
Addressing an event to mark the signing of an agreement between the Technology Development Board and Visakhapatnam-based Ramuka Global Eco Work Private Limited, the minister said steel slag roads offered durable solutions for difficult terrains. He stressed that targeted outreach and training were needed to scale up adoption in hill States and Union Territories.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said workshops would begin next week in Jammu and Kashmir to familiarise engineers and officials with steel slag road technology. He added that similar programmes would follow in other States and UTs. According to him, hill regions faced frequent road damage due to heavy rainfall and short working seasons, yet awareness of this solution remained uneven.
The minister traced the technology’s progress from pilot trials launched nearly two years ago. These began in Surat and parts of the Northeast, including Arunachal Pradesh. Since then, several States, such as Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh, have used steel slag–based repairs in varying degrees.
Steel slag roads get push with ECOFIX commercial rollout
The event also marked the commercial rollout of ECOFIX, a ready-to-use pothole repair mix developed by CSIR–Central Road Research Institute. The Technology Development Board signed the agreement to support market deployment through the industry partner.
Officials said ECOFIX converts processed iron and steel slag into a durable repair material. Crews can apply it even in wet or waterlogged conditions, which reduces repair time and traffic disruption. Studies showed better durability and lower lifecycle costs than conventional methods.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said publicly funded research must deliver visible public benefit. He noted that innovations like ECOFIX addressed routine yet critical issues such as potholes, road safety and commuter stress. He also pointed to a shift in public–private partnerships, as private investment matched government support in this project.
The Technology Development Board and the company plan to set up a steel slag processing facility with an annual capacity of about two lakh tonnes. Officials expect commercial production to begin by the end of 2027, generating jobs near major steel plants.
