Patna: The Bihar government has ordered that roads in urban areas can no longer be raised without formal approval, warning engineers of disciplinary action if they fail to comply, as it seeks to address chronic waterlogging across the state’s cities.
The directive, issued by the Road Construction Department, follows sharp observations by the Patna high court during a hearing on a public interest litigation concerning poor drainage and the repeated elevation of city roads. The court said drainage systems could not be ignored during road construction or repair and criticised practices that had contributed to flooding after rainfall.
In response, the department has made it mandatory to obtain documented approval before increasing the level of any road. Engineers have been instructed that no such work should proceed without clearance.
Under the new rules, a topographic survey will be compulsory before any road construction or repair. Executive engineers, assistant engineers and junior engineers will be required to ensure that projects adhere strictly to survey findings. A quality control team will review the reports and enforce compliance with approved road profiles.
The issue has also been raised in the state legislative council, where concerns were voiced about rising road levels worsening waterlogging in residential and commercial areas. The road construction minister, Dr Dilip Kumar Jaiswal, said future repair works would involve removing the upper, older layers of existing roads before reconstruction begins. Building from the base layer, he said, would prevent unnecessary elevation and help maintain natural drainage.
The government has also made roadside drainage mandatory in densely populated areas and markets. Officials have been directed to prioritise the construction of footpaths and ramps in market areas to ensure both pedestrian access and unobstructed water flow.
State authorities said preventing road projects from exacerbating waterlogging was now a priority. With the stricter standards and oversight in place, the government said it expects a reduction in urban flooding after heavy rainfall.
