The National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA) under the Ministry of Rural Development has been selected for the prestigious U.P. Medal for Innovative Technology in Roads for the year 2025 by the Indian Road Congress. The award recognizes NRIDA's initiative in promoting the innovative use of steel slag, an industrial waste material, in rural road construction under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).
The specific project that earned this recognition involved the construction of PMGSY-III road works in Jharkhand, sanctioned during 2022-23, covering a substantial road length of 381.57 km. This initiative demonstrated the effective utilization of steel slag as an alternative construction material, achieving a 26% reduction in overall construction costs. The proximity of industrial steel plants contributed to optimizing transportation costs, making the project economically viable while promoting resource efficiency and sustainable infrastructure development.
The award will be presented during the Indian Road Congress Annual Function of the 85th Annual Session on November 19, 2026, at Hyderabad, Telangana. This recognition reflects NRIDA's continued commitment to encouraging the use of locally available, marginal, and waste materials in road construction.
The Ministry of Rural Development and NRIDA have so far sanctioned 1,81,923 km of road works using sustainable technologies, of which 1,39,901 km have been completed. This initiative reinforces the Government's vision of developing sustainable, resilient, and environmentally responsible rural road infrastructure across the country.