Hazaribagh, Oct. 11: Just a few days after the contract was signed for four-laning of the Ranchi-Hazaribagh stretch of NH-33, the much-awaited project is staring at fresh hurdles.

A survey for identification of land from Barhi in Hazaribagh to Ranchi revealed that plots that need to be acquired mostly house buildings, temples or are fertile fields. Ramgarh MLA Chandra Prakash Choudhary has already raised objection to acquiring land in such areas. He has demanded immediate intervention to prevent protests.

NHAI surveyor Dhananjay Kumar and manager Manoj Kumar Pandey, who are heading the survey team, said that the proposed 72km road would be 100ft wide. Pandey said they had measured 100ft on either side from the centre of the roads. “At many places, the roads were narrow. So, we had to take more than 100feet from either side,” Kumar added.

However, sources said that at a number of places such as Demotand and Morangi, identified land was densely populated. The houses at these places will need to be razed to the ground to make way for the road. But some villagers said that they would not allow anyone to take away their land.

Pradeep Kumar, an industrialist and resident in Morangi, said that had bought property with hard-earned money. “It is easy for the government to mark land and demolish the existing structures for any project. It never thinks about us, the residents. I will never part with my land,” he said.

Sources in NHAI admitted that this project would claim many residential establishments as well as business premises from Hazaribagh to Ranchi. “Many areas are densely populated and we have no other option but to acquire the land if the existing highway has to be converted into four lanes,” a source said.