Rs 100 crore highway project in Bihar turns hazardous with trees in middle

India Today

Our Get Real India segment highlights how a Rs 100 crore highway project in Bihar has become a hazard due to trees growing in the middle of the road.

Transcript

00:00Let's turn to our Get Real India story. Today we tell you the story of a 100 crore highway project in Bihar

00:06that has turned, guess what, into a highway hazard. Why?

00:10Because trees are literally growing in the middle of the highway.

00:14That's right, trees are literally growing in the middle of the highway.

00:18Departments are passing the buck, the contractor went ahead, and now lives are at stake.

00:23FIIs have been filed, questions are being asked, nothing seems to change.

00:27Take a look at tonight's Get Real India story from Bihar.

00:39This is National Highway 22 in Bihar.

00:44After a 100 crore rupee road widening project between Jahanabad and Gaya, the highway now looks like this.

00:51Four lanes wide, with dozens of full-grown trees, standing tall in the middle.

00:57This is basically happening because of a deadlock between the road construction department and the forest department.

01:05Because the road construction department wrote a letter to the forest department asking it to cut these trees.

01:13But the forest department, in return, wanted equal area of land somewhere in Jahanabad.

01:25There is no land available here in Jahanabad to be given to the forest department.

01:30And that is why there has been a deadlock.

01:33And the forest department also, till now, has not given a NOC for felling of these trees.

01:39Even as the government departments exchanged letters, the contractor went ahead and built the road.

01:47With the video of the highway going viral, the district authorities stepped in.

01:53In damage control mode, the district administration installed painted drums, sandbags and reflectors around the trees.

02:01Needless to say, these Jugaad-style fixes are far from foolproof.

02:08The authorities have filed an FIR and ordered investigation against the contractor.

02:38With Rohit Kumar Singh, Bureau Report, India Today.

02:43Bizarre beyond belief, a road gets widened without forest clearance.

02:49Next thing you know, trees are there in the middle of a highway.

02:53Let's turn from there though, to our good news today story.

02:57And I want to end the show as always with some good news.

03:00In Saranpur, in Uttar Pradesh, a painter is using his art to change how people see the police.

03:06That's right.

03:06Backed by the local municipality, his wall paintings show the more humane side of those in uniform.

03:12So, we've had a story on a tragic police custody death in Tamil Nadu.

03:16I want to leave you with something more positive.

03:19Thanks for watching.

03:20The news without the noise.

03:22Take a look.

03:23Good night.

03:23Goodbye.

03:24Shubhraatri.

03:25Jaihin.

03:25Namaskar.

03:26At times celebrated, at times villainized.

03:31The police often face an image problem.

03:35A painter in Saranpur is now working to free citizens of their fear of police.

03:41In an initiative backed by the local municipality, Shahid Hussain is painting walls with pictures

03:46that bring out the humane side of the men and women in Khaki.

03:54The police have welcomed the image makeover attempt.

04:14Tackling crime sterly, but treating citizens with sensitivity.

04:35That is the message behind the paintings in support of the police.

04:39With Rahul Kumar, Bureau Report, India Today.

Category

Transcript

Recommended