The requirements of bandwidth for communication (data, voice and images) are doubling every 3 months. Such band-widths could be made available only through the optical fibre media which are revolutionizing the world of communications. To facilitate connectivity of the every village to the outside world, the edges of the road land can be used for laying optical cables. Suitable commercial arrangements can be worked out with the intending company.

A major enemy of the Indian roads has been the iron tyred bullock cart. Since the iron tyred wheels of the bullock carts are rigid and narrow they concentrate very heavy loads on relatively small area of the road. The contact pressures can be as high as 40 kg. Per sq.cm. as against the tyre pressures of 6 kg. Per sq.cm. of even the heaviest trucks. In the CRRI’s method of design of road pavement the damaging effect of 1 iron tyred cart is taken as equal to twice that of a truck and 5 times that of a car. It is therefore suggested that Government should encourage conversion of iron tyred carts to pneumatic tyred ones. This can

For ensuring long durability of these roads, asphalt of harder grades, i.e., 60-70 or 30-40, must be used in their construction. The present general experience is that the refineries are unable to supply sufficient quantity of harder grade bitumen even for the ongoing other works. When this huge programme is taken up, there will be a problem of supply of harder grade of bitumen. It is, therefore, suggested that this issue be taken up with the concerned officials. The option of importing bitumen of the requisite grade may also be kept open.