A ₹100 crore road-widening project in Bihar, located approximately 50 kilometres from Patna, has been completed but is drawing attention due to large trees left standing in the middle of the newly constructed stretch.
The 7.48-kilometre stretch, reportedly part of the Patna-Gaya main road in Jehanabad district, appears freshly paved and landscaped. However, several full-grown trees remain in the centre of the road, disrupting traffic flow and requiring vehicles to manoeuvre around them.
A photograph of the road, showing a tree positioned in the middle of one carriageway, has gone viral on social media, prompting criticism of the planning and execution of the project. Several users have questioned how such obstructions were allowed to remain on a completed road.
Officials involved in the project were aware of the presence of the trees during construction, reported NDTV. The matter has raised questions regarding environmental clearances and coordination between departments responsible for road infrastructure and forest conservation.
There has been no official statement yet from the Bihar Road Construction Department or the local district administration regarding the issue.
{{/usCountry}}There has been no official statement yet from the Bihar Road Construction Department or the local district administration regarding the issue.
{{/usCountry}}Another user wrote, fumed at the odd construction, and wrote, “No planning. No common sense.Just another episode of taxpayer money being wasted in style.”
What led to the road construction?
When the road-widening project was taken up, a request was submitted to the forest department seeking permission for the cutting of trees on the way, the news report said. Rejecting this request, the department demanded compensation for 14 hectares of forest land.
While the district administration did not heed to this demand, they did something unexpected -- they constructed a road around the trees on the path, the report added.
It is not just one or two trees, and they are not placed in one line. If one has to take this road, they have to prepare themselves to continuously zig-zag through them, making the road extremely dangerous.
This strange problem has reportedly already led to several accidents.