Ranchi, July 10: The Jharkhand High Court has directed the state government to complete the construction of the proposed 1.8-km road connecting Masridih and Hesalbeda near Jonha Falls within six months, warning that the Secretary of the Rural Works Department will be held personally responsible if the deadline is not met.
The direction was issued by a division bench comprising Chief Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao and Justice Rajesh Shankar while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) related to road connectivity to the popular tourist destination.
The court also instructed the state government to file a compliance report by January 21, 2027, detailing the progress of the project.
During the hearing, the Railways informed the court that it had granted the required No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the proposed road layout.
Following the submission, the bench directed the state government to begin construction without any further delay.
Observing that Jonha Falls is an important tourist attraction with increasing visitor footfall, the High Court said the proposed five-metre-wide road would not be sufficient to meet future traffic requirements.
It directed the state government to ensure that the road is constructed with a minimum width of eight metres.
The court noted that the Railways had agreed to provide land for a five-to-six-metre-wide stretch wherever required, while the remaining land needed to achieve the eight-metre width should be arranged by the state government.
The state government informed the bench that the detailed layout plan had already been prepared and submitted to the Railways for approval.
With the NOC now in place, the court emphasised that there should be no further delay in executing the project.
The proposed road is expected to improve connectivity to Jonha Falls, one of Jharkhand’s prominent tourist destinations, and facilitate safer and smoother travel for visitors.
