Jharkhand Highway Expansion Stalled Over NOC Delay

26 Feb 2025 CW Team

Initiated in September 2024, the Rs 670 million ($8 million) project officially began on October 3, with an 18-month completion deadline. However, work has remained suspended due to the Forest Department’s reluctance to approve an NOC for a 1.2 km stretch passing through forested land, which includes a mountainous area.

According to Ashok Kumar Rajak, Executive Engineer of the Road Construction Department, the application for the NOC was submitted to the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Seraikela-Kharsawan, but approval is still awaited. The Forest Department had planted around 1,500 saplings along a 6 km section of the road five years ago, preventing the necessary clearance for tree removal and relocation.

The new four-lane road is designed to be 23 meters wide, replacing the current 15-meter-wide two-lane stretch. It will feature two 9-meter lanes and a 4-meter divider. Additionally, electricity poles along the route need to be relocated, with the Jharkhand State Electricity Distribution Corporation Limited yet to provide cost estimates for the process.

Saba Alam, In-charge DFO of Seraikela-Kharsawan, assured that efforts would be made to resolve the delay, stating, “Road widening is a matter of public interest and if an application has been submitted, we will expedite the process.”

Despite the ongoing delay, Rajak remains hopeful, saying, “The project has been delayed due to the Forest Department’s delay in issuing the NOC and permitting tree relocation. However, we are committed to completing the four-lane road within the stipulated period.”

Until the NOC is granted and administrative hurdles are cleared, commuters will continue to endure long delays and deteriorating road conditions on this vital highway.

The expansion of the crucial Domuhani Sonari New Bridge to Kanderbera stretch on NH-33 has been stalled for the past four months due to bureaucratic hurdles, leaving over 10,000 daily commuters struggling with congestion. The project, aimed at upgrading the existing 7.8 km two-lane road into a four-lane highway, has hit a roadblock due to a pending No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Forest Department. Initiated in September 2024, the Rs 670 million ($8 million) project officially began on October 3, with an 18-month completion deadline. However, work has remained suspended due to the Forest Department’s reluctance to approve an NOC for a 1.2 km stretch passing through forested land, which includes a mountainous area. According to Ashok Kumar Rajak, Executive Engineer of the Road Construction Department, the application for the NOC was submitted to the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Seraikela-Kharsawan, but approval is still awaited. The Forest Department had planted around 1,500 saplings along a 6 km section of the road five years ago, preventing the necessary clearance for tree removal and relocation. The new four-lane road is designed to be 23 meters wide, replacing the current 15-meter-wide two-lane stretch. It will feature two 9-meter lanes and a 4-meter divider. Additionally, electricity poles along the route need to be relocated, with the Jharkhand State Electricity Distribution Corporation Limited yet to provide cost estimates for the process. Saba Alam, In-charge DFO of Seraikela-Kharsawan, assured that efforts would be made to resolve the delay, stating, “Road widening is a matter of public interest and if an application has been submitted, we will expedite the process.” Despite the ongoing delay, Rajak remains hopeful, saying, “The project has been delayed due to the Forest Department’s delay in issuing the NOC and permitting tree relocation. However, we are committed to completing the four-lane road within the stipulated period.” Until the NOC is granted and administrative hurdles are cleared, commuters will continue to endure long delays and deteriorating road conditions on this vital highway.

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