Today, On 4th November, The Chief Justice of India will consider a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) addressing the recurring bridge collapses in Bihar. The plea describes these incidents as “disastrous” and a serious threat to public safety, with many structures failing even before completion. The PIL requests a structural audit and the creation of an expert panel to monitor bridge safety standards. The court’s intervention could lead to improved infrastructure oversight in flood-prone Bihar.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court, On Monday, agreed to consider a request to schedule a hearing regarding concerns about the safety and durability of bridges in Bihar, following multiple collapses in recent months.
A bench consisting of Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud, along with Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, previously called for responses from the Bihar government and other relevant parties, including the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), in relation to the public interest litigation (PIL) filed on July 29 of this year.
Advocate Brajesh Singh, representing the petitioner, requested a hearing for the plea.
Chief Justice of India responded,
“I will look into this,”
And inquired if an email regarding the matter had been sent to his office.
The PIL seeks a directive for a structural audit and the establishment of an expert panel to assess which bridges in Bihar should be strengthened or demolished based on the findings. Alongside the state and NHAI, the Supreme Court has also issued notices to the additional chief secretary of the road construction department, the chairperson of Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited, and the additional chief secretary of the rural works department.
In Bihar’s Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran, and Kishanganj districts, ten bridge collapse incidents were reported during May, June, and July this year. While many believe heavy rainfall may have contributed to these incidents, the PIL filed by advocate Brajesh Singh expressed concerns over the safety and durability of bridges in a state frequently impacted by monsoon rains and floods.
The PIL seeks the establishment of a high-level expert panel and calls for real-time monitoring of bridges following the standards set by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
The petitioner emphasized Bihar’s vulnerability, noting,
“Bihar is the most flood-prone state in India, with a flood-affected area of 68,800 square km, covering 73.06% of its total geographical area.”
The plea stated,
“Routine occurrences of collapsing bridges in Bihar are particularly disastrous, endangering public lives. The urgent intervention of this court is necessary to safeguard lives, as these under-construction bridges collapse even before completion,”
Following the incidents, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar directed the road construction and rural works departments to survey all old bridges in the state to identify those in need of immediate repairs.
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