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Bihar and Centre sign pact to use river silt in National Highway projects

NHAI says 243 lakh cubic metres of silt will go into 16 ongoing projects under the ‘Nadi Sanjivani’ initiative.

By BDT News Desk

Published 3 Nov 2026, 7:51 PM IST · 1 min read

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) and Government of Bihar Sign MoU for Scientific Desilting of Water Bodies and Utilisation of Silt in National Highway Projects
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) and Government of Bihar Sign MoU for Scientific Desilting of Water Bodies and Utilisation of Silt in National Highway Projects Photo: PIB

The Road Transport Ministry and the Bihar government have signed an MoU for scientific desilting of rivers and water bodies, with suitable silt to be used in National Highway construction in the state.

Called "Nadi Sanjivani", the initiative was signed in New Delhi in the presence of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. It aims to restore water-carrying capacity, improve flood management, protect farmland and give highway projects a source of construction material.

The numbers

NHAI says 243 lakh cubic metres of silt will be used in 16 ongoing projects, and an estimated 835 lakh cubic metres is proposed for 27 future projects, subject to technical suitability and approvals. Bihar has 39 NHAI projects under construction covering about 1,561 km worth ₹58,340 crore, and 11 more proposed covering around 1,982 km worth ₹1,85,200 crore.

Safeguards

The MoU follows the Bihar Water Sources Restoration and Silt Management Policy, 2026. Gadkari said work will follow technical assessments and safeguards, and the model could be extended to other states facing similar problems. Choudhary stressed Bihar's vulnerability to recurring floods.

Photos

Photo: PIB

Photo: PIB

Photo: PIB

Photo: PIB

Source: official release by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, issued through the Press Information Bureau, Government of India (03 NOV 2026 4:13PM by PIB Delhi). Read the full official text: Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) and Government of Bihar Sign MoU for Scientific Desilting of Water Bodies and Utilisation of Silt in National Highway Projects.

How we verified this

Verified

Every fact, figure and quotation is taken from the official PIB release (Release ID 2332058) issued by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways on 03 NOV 2026 4:13PM by PIB Delhi; checked against the source on publication. Story written by BDT from that release; no outside facts added.

Fact-checked by Hemant Sharma on 3 Nov 2026, 7:51 PM IST.

Sources

  1. 1.Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) and Government of Bihar Sign MoU for Scientific Desilting of Water Bodies and Utilisation of Silt in National High — Press Information Bureau, Government of India

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