Patna: The ambitious Pahari-Saidpur drain and road construction project, inaugurated by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in September 2023 at a cost of Rs 259.81 crore, is falling behind schedule. Originally slated for completion by August 2025, the 5.81-kilometre project has yet to be finished.
Officials from Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (BUIDCo) said the agency had been tasked with building around 400 metres of drain per month. However, progress has been slow, with only 250 metres being completed monthly.
Construction has been particularly delayed on the Saidpur side, where work has not yet begun due to obstacles including electrical poles, transformers, cables, trees, and encroachments. BUIDCo has said departmental procedures are ongoing to remove these hindrances before work can start.
At the Pahari Samp House site, approximately 850 metres of the drain have been completed. Kunal Kumar, the project coordinator, stated that the agency is aiming to construct 250 metres of drain per month.
Work was halted for roughly four months during the monsoon season but resumed after the Chhath festival. So far, 60 metres of drain have been fully constructed, with the ground level cast for an additional 40 metres. The U-shaped drain is designed to be seven metres wide at the base and 12 metres at the top.
Once finished, the drain will run from Pahari to the Gaighat NMCH turn, flanked by roads on either side. A road will also be constructed above the covered section of the drain from Gaighat Power Grid to Saidpur.
