Today(on 29th July), The Supreme Court of India has requested responses from the Bihar government and the NHAI regarding a PIL addressing safety concerns over Bihar’s bridges, following recent collapses. The court, led by CJI DY Chandrachud, has called for a structural audit and expert panel to assess whether the bridges need strengthening or demolition.
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NEW DELHI: Today(on 29th July), The Supreme Court of India, called for responses from the Bihar government and various other entities, including the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), regarding a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that raised serious concerns about the safety and longevity of bridges in Bihar. This comes after several bridge collapses were reported in the state over the past few weeks.
A judicial bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud, along with Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, issued notices to the Bihar state government and other relevant authorities in response to the PIL. The PIL calls for a comprehensive structural audit and the establishment of an expert panel to evaluate and determine whether the identified bridges should be strengthened or demolished based on the panel’s findings.
The Supreme Court’s notices were directed not only at the state government and NHAI but also at the additional chief secretary of the Road Construction Department, the chairperson of Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Ltd, and the additional chief secretary of the rural works department.
In the last four weeks, Bihar has witnessed ten bridge collapse incidents across various districts, including Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran, and Kishanganj. While some believe that heavy rainfall has exacerbated these incidents, the PIL, filed by advocate Brajesh Singh, emphasizes the need for immediate action to ensure the safety and durability of the state’s bridges.
The petitioner highlighted the alarming reality that Bihar is the most flood-prone state in India, with 68,800 square kilometers of flood-affected area, accounting for 73.06 percent of the state’s total geographical area.
“Therefore, the recurrent occurrence of bridge collapses in Bihar is particularly concerning, as it jeopardizes the safety and lives of the general public.”
-the petition stated.
Therefore the urgent intervention of this court is required to save the lives of people, as the under-construction bridges before its (their) accomplishment collapsed routinely.
In addition to calling for the creation of a high-level expert panel, the PIL also requested the real-time monitoring of bridges according to the standards set by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. This measure aims to prevent future incidents by ensuring continuous oversight and maintenance of bridge structures.
Reacting to the recent bridge collapses, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has instructed the road construction and rural works departments to conduct thorough surveys of all old bridges within the state. This survey is intended to identify bridges in urgent need of repair to prevent further accidents.