Bihar river desilting to supply material for 43 highway projects
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways signed an agreement with the Bihar government to use excavated silt for road construction.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Bihar government on Tuesday to carry out scientific desilting of rivers and water bodies. According to The New Indian Express, the initiative aims to provide over 1,500 lakh cubic metres of silt for use in at least 43 National Highway (NH) projects in the state, which includes 16 ongoing works.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary attended the signing ceremony. Under the ‘Nadi Sanjivani’ initiative, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will perform the desilting work at no cost.
NHAI officials stated that 400 lakh cubic metres of suitable silt will be used for current projects, while an estimated 1,050 lakh cubic metres is planned for 27 future projects, depending on technical suitability and approvals. Currently, 39 NHAI projects worth an estimated Rs 58,340 crore are under construction in Bihar, while 11 more projects involving Rs 1.85 lakh crore are proposed.
Gadkari said accumulated silt reduces the water-carrying capacity of rivers, leading to floods and damage to property and agricultural land. He said scientific desilting would improve drainage, restore water bodies, and provide construction material while reducing the need for fresh earth or agricultural soil.
The minister added that the recovered silt could also be used for state road projects and railway infrastructure. He also noted that stones recovered from rivers would be used to build gabion walls to channelise river flow.