SC seeks responses of Bihar, NHAI on PIL raising concerns about bridge collapse incidents

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Bihar government and others, including the NHAI, on a PIL that raised concerns about the safety and longevity of bridges in the state after several of them collapsed over the last few weeks.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra issued notices to the state government and others on the PIL that sought directions for a structural audit and setting up of an expert panel to identify bridges that can be either strengthened or demolished based on its findings.

Besides the state and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the top court also issued notices to Road Construction Department's additional chief secretary, Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Ltd's chairperson and rural works department's additional chief secretary.

Ten incidents of bridge collapse have been reported in Bihar's Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran and Kishanganj districts in the last four weeks. Many have claimed that heavy rainfall might have contributed to the incidents.

The PIL, filed by advocate Brajesh Singh, raised concerns about the safety and longevity of the bridges in the state that witnesses floods and heavy rains during the monsoon.

Besides setting up a high-level expert panel, it also sought real-time monitoring of the bridges as per the parameters of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

The petitioner said it was a matter of grave concern that Bihar is the most flood-prone state in India. The total flood-affected area in the state is 68,800 square km which is 73.06 per cent of its total geographical area.

"Hence, such routine accrual of the incident of falling bridges in Bihar is more disastrous as the lives of people at large are at stake. 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," the petitioner said.

In view of the bridge collapse incidents, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has directed the road construction and rural works departments to conduct a survey of all old bridges in the state and identify those in need of immediate repair.