National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA) under The Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, has achieved a significant recognition in the field of sustainable rural infrastructure, selected for the prestigious U.P. Medal for Innovative Technology in Roads for the year 2025. The award recognises NRIDA's initiative in promoting the innovative use of steel slag in rural road construction under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

The award will be presented during the Indian Road Congress Annual Function of the 85th Annual Session on November 19, 2026, at Hyderabad, Telangana.

For this prestigious recognition, the Ministry of Rural Development and NRIDA submitted a nomination highlighting the innovative use of steel slag in the construction of PMGSY-III road works in the State of Jharkhand, sanctioned during 2022-23.

The project covers a substantial road length of 381.57 km, demonstrating the adoption of steel slag as an alternative construction material in rural road infrastructure. The initiative has helped achieve a 26 per cent reduction in overall construction costs. The proximity of industrial steel plants has also contributed to optimising transportation costs.

The initiative demonstrates the effective utilisation of steel slag, an industrial waste material, as an alternative resource for rural road construction, thereby promoting resource efficiency and sustainable infrastructure development.

MoRD and NRIDA's Commitment to Sustainable Rural Infrastructure

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 recognition reflects NRIDA's continued commitment to encouraging the use of locally available, marginal and waste materials in road construction. It also acknowledges the efforts of the Ministry of Rural Development and NRIDA in facilitating the adoption of innovative and green technologies under PMGSY.

The initiative reinforces the Government's vision of developing sustainable, resilient and environmentally responsible rural road infrastructure across the country.

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