India, Sept. 7 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
The two-day National Symposium on "Geosynthetics for Performance Enhancement and Distress Mitigation in Highways and Railways" officially commenced today at the CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) Auditorium in New Delhi. Jointly organized by CSIR-CRRI and the Geosynthetics Society (GS), Pune, the symposium convenes leading policymakers, infrastructure authorities, geotechnical specialists, and industry experts to address critical engineering solutions for national highway networks, high-speed rail lines, and strategic mountain corridors.
Inaugural Highlights
The symposium was inaugurated following the ceremonial lighting of the lamp and the national song. Opening the session, Ms. Minimol Korulla, Vice President of Geosynthetics Society, Pune, presented an overview of the symposium's goals, emphasizing the necessity of standardizing field practices and adopting advanced polymeric materials to improve structural durability.
In his Welcome Address, Dr. Chalumuri Ravi Sekhar, Director, CSIR-CRRI, underscored CRRI's leadership in applied transportation research, observing:
"Geosynthetics are no longer supplementary construction alternatives; they have emerged as core design imperatives for sustainable, resilient, and high-performance transportation corridors in India's multimodal infrastructure growth story."
Prof. G.L. Sivakumar Babu, President of the Indian Geotechnical Society (IGS) and Chairman of the CSIR-CRRI Research Council, highlighted the strategic imperative of integrating geosynthetic applications with resilient, eco-efficient engineering practices. Guest of Honour Shri Vivek Bhushan Sood, Executive Director, Railway Board, addressed Indian Railways' modernization initiatives, emphasizing track-bed stabilization, heavy-haul capacity, and vibration mitigation using geosynthetic systems.
Delivering the Chief Guest address, Shri Amarendra Kumar, Director, National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), elaborated on the deployment of geosynthetic ground engineering solutions in challenging terrains, steep slopes, and high-altitude highway projects across India's North-Eastern and Himalayan corridors. The inaugural session concluded with formal felicitations and a vote of thanks proposed by Dr. K. Ravinder, Head, International Liaison and Training (ILT), CSIR-CRRI.
Key Technical Themes and Day 1 Deliberations
The technical agenda for Day 1 addressed key operational challenges and innovations across highway and railway sectors:
Look Ahead: Day 2 Highlights (8 September 2026), the second day of the symposium will feature:
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
