PATNA: A road on the Patna-Gaya main section has been widened with several trees left zig-zag in the middle in the 7.8km stretch between Kanaudi and Irki in Jehanabad district, 50km from the state capital Patna.

The trees in the middle make the commuters prone to accidents, the locals said. The road was earlier part of the NH-83, but now comes under the state road construction department (RCD) as a new National Highway has been constructed nearby to connect Patna and Gaya. The engineers engaged in the road construction there say since the forest department neither issued NOC for cutting the trees nor the district administration gave clearance to hand over 14 hectares of non-forest land demanded as compensation for plantation, the widening work continued for some time, but has been stopped now.

RCD executive engineer Dhananjay Kumar told reporters on Tuesday that the road-widening work will resume after getting the forest department’s clearance for removing the trees. “I have informed the district administration as well as the RCD for the need to get forest department clearance,” Dhananjay said.

Sources said the forest department refused permission to the district administration to remove trees for the Rs 100-crore road widening project and demanded 14 hectares of non-forest land for plantation. The district administration could not meet the demand and the RCD continued the road widening work by leaving the trees in the middle, awaiting clearance.

Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Doctor's Day 2025, messages and quotes!