Previously, Geosynthetica noted in the daily news the development of a joint investment and investigation into jute and geotextiles between agencies in India and Bangladesh. The aim is to properly tap the potential of jute fabrics in preventing soil erosion along river banks, road edges and elsewhere. The reported investment has been a US $3.6-million research project to standardize design, methodology and specifications for jute geotextiles.
Now, in the most recent newsletter from the India-based Business Coordination House (BCH) more information has come to light. That release is reprinted here. To read the full newsletter in PDF, see:
http://www.bch.in/pdfs/techtex_india_jan_mar_10.pdf
Project for Increased Use of Jute Geotextiles
The mantra for survival of jute industry is product diversification. Jute Geotextiles (JGT) provide an opportunity to the Jute Industry to diversify and capture new market, said Thiru. Dayanidhi Maran, Union Minister of Textiles while launching the International Project for the Development and Application of Potentially Important Jute Geotextiles, 12 November 2009.
The Minister said that Jute Geotech is a very cost-effective and versatile material for ground modification and stabilization, however, in India the use of these materials remain inadequate and far below the potential despite the country having the second largest road network in the world and indigenous fibre base. JGT can have a business potential of Rs. 1,260 crore in the 21,000 Km National highway being upgraded by the Government, The Bharat Nirman, a time bound action plan for development of rural infrastructure, envisages laying of 24,000 kilometres of roads to provide connectivity to rural areas and JGT in this Programme can generate a market potential of Rs. 868 crore, said Thiru. Maran.
The Government will spend US $78.5 billion for development of road infrastructure during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan Period and the Jute Textiles Industry shall shape up to exploit the potential. The Project will help in identifying potentially important Jute Geotextiles (JGT) for use in control of soil erosion and rural road construction and standardization of design, methodology and specifications for use of Jute Geotextiles. The Minister said that the five years US $3.96 million project also has a social angle. The increased off take of jute will help in poverty alleviation in jute-growing areas and in improving the living conditions of farmers and workers.
PROJECT DETAILS
- 26 field trials will be conducted under the project — 16 in India & 10 in Bangladesh to certify & standardize the effectiveness of JGT
- The Ministry of Rural Development supports the use of JGT in its projects & is in the process of short-listing sites for this project
- The estimated cost of the five years project is US $3.6 million, of which the Government of India will provide US$ 1.25 million as counterpart contribution for implementation of the project activities in India. The Government of Bangladesh will contribute US $0.57 million.
- The project will be financed by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), Amsterdam, the Netherlands, an Inter-Governmental financial institution established within the framework of the UN
- The International Jute Study Group (IJSG), Dhaka, an intergovernmental body set up under the aegis of the UN Conference on Trade Development (UNCTAD) to function as the International Commodity body (ICB) for Jute, Kenaf and other Allied Fibers, will be the Supervisory Body.
- The Jute Manufacturers Development Council (JMDC), Kolkata, an International Agency for promotion of Indian Jute, will execute the project and the Jute Diversification Promotion Centre (JDPC), Bangladesh is the nodal agency for the Bangladesh part of this project.
Geosynthetica welcomes your geosynthetics-related news and project information from around the world. Contact the Editorial Director, Chris Kelsey, at chris@geosynthetica.net.
