New Delhi, Nov 3 (PTI) The National Highways Authority of India and the Bihar government on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding to desilt water bodies and use silt in National Highway projects in the state.
In a statement, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said it has identified a requirement for about 243 lakh cubic metres of silt for ongoing and proposed National Highway projects in Bihar.
National Highway projects in Bihar include 39 ongoing projects covering around 1,561 km at an estimated cost of Rs 58,340 crore, and 11 proposed projects covering around 1,982 km with an estimated investment of Rs 1,85,200 crore, it added.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary in the national capital.
According to the statement, the initiative seeks to address two important developmental priorities, including restoring the water-carrying and water-retention capacity of water bodies affected by accumulated silt and ensuring the availability of suitable earth and fill material for the construction of National Highways.
By facilitating the utilisation of excavated silt, the initiative will help to reduce dependence on agricultural soil for infrastructure development, it added.
The agreement provides an institutional framework for coordinated action between the Bihar government and NHAI and will be implemented in accordance with the Bihar Water Sources Restoration and Silt Management Policy 2026 and other applicable environmental and statutory provisions.
The desilting process will be undertaken scientifically, following detailed technical assessments of the identified water bodies. The pact establishes a coordinated and time-bound mechanism for processing NHAI’s requests.
The Road Construction Department (RCD) under the Bihar government will act as the nodal agency.
A state-level coordination committee will review project proposals, approvals, implementation progress, compliance and operational issues, the statement said.
The MoU incorporates safeguards to ensure that desilting activities do not adversely affect the ecological balance, riverbanks, embankments, bridges or other structures. Extraction will be permitted only at approved locations and within technically prescribed limits.
The quality and suitability of the excavated silt for National Highway construction will be established through appropriate testing in accordance with applicable Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) specifications and relevant Indian Roads Congress (IRC) codes.
Regular monitoring, joint measurement, digital record-keeping and periodic reconciliation of the quantities extracted, transported and utilised will ensure transparency and accountability.
The central government’s investment in Bihar’s National Highway infrastructure has witnessed substantial growth.
The National Highway network in the state has expanded from 4,615 km in 2014 to around 6,500 km at present.
Also, since 2014, construction of around 29 new bridges over Bihar’s major rivers has been undertaken to further strengthen regional connectivity and movement of people and goods.
By converting excavated silt into a useful construction resource, the MoU will contribute to the restoration of water bodies, conservation of agricultural land and development of National Highway infrastructure in Bihar. PTI BKS BKS BAL
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