Patna: The road construction department (RCD) has taken a policy decision to use silt procured from de-siltation of rivers, canals and ponds in building roads across the state, including Patna, aiming to accelerate work while delivering multiple benefits.According to an RCD communiqué, the move will increase the water-holding capacity of water bodies, reduce damage to agricultural land earlier used for soil extraction, and expedite road construction. The department said the use of such silt has already begun in some projects.The decision was taken at a recent departmental meeting chaired by RCD secretary Pankaj Kumar Pal. Chief engineers have been directed to coordinate with district authorities to source silt from de-siltation works and obtain no-objection certificates from the water resources department to ensure smooth execution.Earlier, soil from agricultural land was widely used, damaging fertile fields. The department later shifted to fly ash, but shortages slowed projects, prompting the shift towards de-silted material.In Patna, silt will be used for a 6 km stretch up to Samagra Udyan, the Digha to Sabhyata Dwar road, and the Bhadra Ghat to Deedarganj stretch of 8.50 km. It will also be used in the 27.180 km four-lane road from Rajgir to Salepur (NH-82) in Nalanda, part of the Buddhist Circuit.Other projects include the Chausa-Buxar bypass (NH-319), Balbhadrapur-Bela Nawada road (NH-119) under Bharatmala, and the Amas-Darbhanga corridor.Pal said, “The recourse to silt material has been adopted to protect agricultural land. De-siltation will also increase water-holding capacity and help recharge groundwater.”
