Centre, Bihar join hands to desilt rivers, use 1,078 lakh cubic metres of silt in 43 highway projects

The Centre and Bihar government on Tuesday signed an agreement to desilt rivers and other water bodies in the state and use the excavated material in highway construction.

The move is expected to improve water flow, reduce flood risks and cut infrastructure costs.

Under the agreement, 243 lakh cubic metres of suitable silt will be used in 16 ongoing National Highway projects in Bihar, while another 835 lakh cubic metres has been proposed for use in 27 future projects.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the Bihar government in the presence of Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.

The initiative, named 'Nadi Sanjivani', seeks to combine river restoration and flood management with highway infrastructure development.

Bihar faces recurring floods, particularly due to rivers originating in Nepal that bring large quantities of water and sediment into the state.

Accumulation of silt has reduced the water-carrying capacity of rivers, contributing to floods, damage to agricultural land and loss of property, Gadkari said.

Scientific desilting would improve water flow and drainage while making excavated material available for highway construction, reducing dependence on fresh earth and the use of agricultural soil, the minister said.

The initiative could also lower construction costs and help speed up highway projects, he said, adding that the model could be extended to other states facing similar challenges.

Choudhary said the Bihar government has formulated the Bihar Water Sources Restoration and Silt Management Policy, 2026, to provide a framework for restoration of water bodies and management of accumulated silt.

The policy also provides for removing sand and silt deposited on agricultural land following floods to provide relief to affected farmers.

According to the ministry, 39 National Highway projects covering around 1,561 km and involving an estimated investment of Rs 58,340 crore are currently under construction in Bihar.

Another 11 projects spanning approximately 1,982 km, with an estimated investment of ₹1.85 lakh crore, are proposed.

The availability of suitable excavated silt is expected to meet a substantial part of the material requirements of these projects.

Under the MoU, the Bihar Road Construction Department will act as the nodal agency and coordinate with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for implementation.

Desilting will be carried out after technical assessments of identified water bodies.

The excavated material will be tested for suitability in highway construction in accordance with MoRTH specifications and relevant Indian Roads Congress codes.