PATNA, Nov. 3 -- The Government of Bihar and the Union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) on Monday signed an important Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi. Under it, the MoRTH will dredge the state's rivers and route recovered sand, silt and sediment into National Highway projects.

Bihar chief minister Samrat Chaudhary and Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari were present at the MoU signing function, which has been an old demand of the state for the state's ecological restoration, groundwater recharge and flood mitigation. Union minister Jeevan Ram Manjhi was also present on the occasion.

The main objective of the MoU is scientific desilting of water bodies in Bihar for flood management a...