Patna, Feb. 3: The seven districts of Bihar along the 725-km-long India-Nepal border would be connected by a two-lane road within five years. The project will make commuting in West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Supaul, Araria and Kishanganj a cakewalk.

The central and the state governments would jointly execute this ambitious project. While the state government would bear the cost of land to be acquired for the roads, the Centre would disburse the construction cost.

The Bihar road construction department would be the implementing agency of the project.

The two-lane road would not only benefit the people residing near the India-Nepal border. It would also be a big boon for the personnel of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), which has been entrusted with the task of maintaining vigil on the porous India-Nepal border. They would be able to patrol longer stretches in shorter period of time once the road is in place.

Bihar road construction department minister Nand Kishore Yadav told The Telegraph: “Preliminary estimates suggest 564km of road construction at a cost of Rs 1,702 crore under this project. But the actual length of the road would be known only after the completion of the survey work, which is already under way.”

Sources said the actual project cost would be clear only after the detailed project report was tabled. The estimated and the actual project cost may vary because some bridges might have to be constructed keeping the connectivity issue in mind.

The road has to be constructed in a period of five years and the actual construction work would get underway in 2011-12. The road would be 7m wide. On either side of the road, there would be 2.5m wide flanks.

Sources in the road construction department said efforts would be made to set the alignment of the road in such a way that it connects all the SSB border outposts. If the local topography does not allow it at some places, link roads would be constructed to connect theSSB border outposts with this road.

There are 252 SSB border outposts along the India- Nepal border.

The source said there are virtually no roads along the India-Nepal border at present. In absence of any linear road, which could allow the smooth movement from one district to another, the border residents have to travel from one place to another using circuitous routes.

“Most of the existing roads are either village roads or the ones which were built several years ago,” added the source.

A resident of a village on the Indian side of the border said: “Travelling in this area is a gruelling task. It takes hours to go from one place to another in the absence of any quality metallic road. The new project will change the socio-economic face of the area.”

Terming the project a promising one, SSB frontier headquarters inspector- general Aditya Mishra said: “A good quality road will increase our operational efficiency. It will also allow us to add more facilities at our border outposts.”

He said the new road would allow the SSB to provide quick reinforcement to the border outposts in case of exigencies.

“The senior officers, too, will find it easier to make field visits as all the border districts would be connected with each other and one would be able to visit border outposts in less time,” Mishra added.