Bihar’s Forest Department recently took on an unusual responsibility linked to a highway infrastructure project, agreeing to facilitate forest clearances for a road widening project of the state’s Road Construction Department (RCD). The arrangement involved a 10.5-kilometre stretch of National Highway 333 passing through the Gangata forest area in Munger district.
The development followed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on September 26 between Bihar’s Forest Department and RCD. The agreement was signed by Bihar Head of Forest Force (HoFF) Arvinder Singh and RCD Engineer-in-Chief Uma Kant Rajak. The Forest Department was to take care of the statutory approval of the highway project.
The road project involves widening and strengthening an existing single-lane section of NH 333 into a two-lane carriageway. The route passes through forest land and through the Bhimband Wildlife Sanctuary as part of the project. It is estimated that the project needs around 2.1 hectares of land from the sanctuary and it is still being cleared by the central Parivesh portal.
Forest Department's unusual dual role
The MoU was interesting due to the dual nature of the Forest Department. The department traditionally protects forests, regulates activities on forest land and assesses proposals that would affect protected areas and forest ecosystems.
In this case, however, the department was also expected to assist in moving the highway project through the required approval process. The agreement supposedly included provisions for facilitating statutory permissions and availability of the required forest land for the road project.
The arrangement raised questions about how forest protection and infrastructure development would go along with each other. A department dedicated to protecting forest resources was also engaged in the development of a road project that needed forest land.
The issue is especially important because projects involving forest land and wildlife areas are generally subject to regulatory requirements from the start of construction or even larger scale work on the land and expansion. Clearance is to examine any potential environmental impact of using forest land for non-forest purposes.
NH 333 Widening Project In Munger
The NH 333 project should improve a part of road connectivity in Munger district. The proposed work would extend the single lane road to two lanes of carriageway and improve movement along the route and connectivity in the area.
But as the proposed alignment passes through forest land, the project requires statutory approvals before the relevant construction activities can move forward. The presence of the Bhimband Wildlife Sanctuary adds another layer of regulatory significance to the proposal.
The Parivesh portal is used by the government for processing proposals involving environmental, forest, wildlife and related clearances. The highway project was reportedly awaiting approval through this system at the time of the MoU.
MoU Later Withdrawn
The unusual arrangement did not continue for long. Bihar’s Head of Forest Force Arvinder Singh said that the MoU would be withdrawn. The withdrawal followed concerns over the Forest Department’s dual role in protecting forest resources and facilitating the highway project.
The withdrawal now means that the September 26 agreement does not represent the final framework for how the highway project’s forest clearance needs will be handled. The reasons for this initial decision to enter into the arrangement were not fully explained in the report.
The episode shows the administrative challenges that can occur when infrastructure projects intersect with protected forests and wildlife areas.
Highway expansion can improve connectivity and transport, but projects that involve forest land must also be approved through statutory approval frameworks.
For Bihar, the NH 333 widening proposal is still closely linked to the question of how road development and forest protection responsibilities are balanced. The project will be determined by clearances and the regulatory process for forest land management.
The MoU has also been the subject of controversy for the institutional separation between those in charge of developing infrastructure and those responsible for assessing and protecting environmental resources.
Given the highway project’s approval process, the responsibility for this will be one of the key topics for discussion around the proposed widening work in Munger in the future.
