The Bihar government has launched the Bihar Water Resources Restoration and Silt Management Policy 2026 to deal with silt build-up in rivers and lower the risk of floods, according to a statement reported by India Today on November 3, 2026. As part of the plan, silt will be removed scientifically from rivers, barrages and reservoirs and used in infrastructure work, including National Highway construction.
Key points
- Bihar and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) signed an MoU in New Delhi for desilting water bodies and using suitable silt in highway projects.
- NHAI has identified a need for about 243 lakh cubic metres of silt for its ongoing and proposed projects in Bihar.
- The Road Construction Department will be the nodal agency, with a state-level committee overseeing the work.
- The agreement includes safeguards for the environment, riverbanks, embankments and bridges.
What the agreement provides
The MoU was signed in the presence of Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari. It aims to meet two needs together: restoring the capacity of silted water bodies to carry and hold water, and providing suitable earth and fill material for highway construction.
Desilting will be done only after detailed technical assessments of the identified water bodies. The material taken out will be tested for quality and suitability. It will be used in National Highway projects as per the specifications of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the codes of the Indian Roads Congress.
Scale of highway projects
According to an NHAI statement, Bihar currently has 39 ongoing highway projects covering around 1,561 km, with an estimated cost of Rs 58,340 crore. Another 11 proposed projects, covering about 1,982 km, are expected to involve an investment of Rs 1,85,200 crore. These projects are the source of the demand for silt.
Safeguards and oversight
The MoU sets up a framework for coordination between NHAI and the state government. The Road Construction Department will act as the nodal agency. A state-level coordination committee will look at project proposals, approvals, progress and compliance.
The agreement says desilting must not disturb the ecological balance or damage riverbanks, embankments, bridges and other structures. Extraction will be allowed only at approved locations and within technically prescribed limits. To keep the process transparent, there will be regular monitoring, joint measurements, digital record-keeping and periodic checks of the quantities extracted, transported and used.
Why it matters
A key aim of the policy is to treat river silt as a usable resource rather than construction waste. Using it in highway and embankment projects is expected to reduce the use of agricultural soil for such work, which would help conserve cultivable land. The initiative could also lower the cost of buying construction material and support faster completion of infrastructure projects.
Flooding is a recurring problem for Bihar, especially in the northern districts, where seasonal floods often damage homes. Removing silt is meant to help rivers and reservoirs hold and carry more water.
