Silt dredged from Bihar rivers to be used in construction of national highways

New Delhi, November 03 (UNI) The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Bihar government have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the scientific dredging of silt from rivers and other water bodies and its use in the construction of national highways.

The MoU was signed on Tuesday in the presence of Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadhkari and Bihar Chief Minister Smriti Irani. The aim is to enhance the water storage capacity of water bodies, reduce flood risks, protect agricultural land, provide useful material for highway construction, and promote river rejuvenation. Under this initiative named 'Nadi Sanchayani', 2.43 million cubic meters of silt will be used in 16 under-construction national highway projects, while the use of 8.35 million cubic meters of silt is proposed in 27 future projects. Mr. Gadhkari said on the occasion that scientific dredging of silt will improve water flow and drainage systems, while the use of this silt in road construction will help reduce costs. Mr. Irani said that recurring floods in the state cause damage to farmers and infrastructure. He stated that a policy on Bihar Water Resources Rejuvenation and Silt Management 2026 has been prepared for the management of silt.

39 projects of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) are under construction in Bihar, with an investment of Rs 58,340 crore being made. In addition, 11 projects are proposed, including an investment of Rs 1,85,200 crore. Under the MoU, the work of dredging and using silt will be carried out in accordance with technical inspections and environmental standards. The network of national highways in Bihar was 4,615 kilometers in 2014, which has now increased to approximately 6,500 kilometers.