Bihar bridge collapse incidents: Supreme Court issues notice to state government

A bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud asked the Bihar government and the other respondents concerned to file a reply to the petition filed by Brajesh Singh. File pic

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Bihar government on a petition that has sought the court's intervention to issue directions to the state to conduct the "highest level" of structural audit of all existing and under-construction bridges and to demolish or retrofit weak structures depending on feasibility after several bridges collapsed in the state recently.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud asked the Bihar government and the other respondents concerned to file a reply to the petition filed by Brajesh Singh.

The court was hearing the plea filed by petitioner and advocate Brajesh Singh who has urged the judges to issue directions to the Bihar government to conduct the "highest level" of structural audit of all existing bridges and under construction bridges in the state and to demolish or retrofit weak structures depending of feasibility.

The petitioner said that the issue of repeated bridge collapses in Bihar requires urgent consideration of the top court itself. Within two years, three major under-construction bridges as well as other large, medium and small bridges have collapsed. Some of these incidents have also witnessed deaths and injuries. The petitioner has termed the incidents as "man-made" and added that the major incidents of loss to human lives as well public exchequer can happen owing to the gross negligence of the government and "corrupt nexus" of the contractors and the agencies concerned.

"It is a matter of grave concern that in a state like Bihar, which is the most flood-prone state of India, the total flood-affected area is 68,800 sq. km., which is 73.06 percent of the total geographical area of the state. Hence, such a 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 Hon'ble Court is required to save the lives of people at large who are in the present living in the uncertainty, as the under-construction bridges before its accomplishment got collapsed routinely," the petitioner said.

He has also sought "appropriate direction" for the state for formulating a proper policy or mechanism for real-time monitoring of the bridges constructed and those under construction in Bihar. The petitioner further requested the court to direct the respondents, specifically the state, for making an efficient permanent body through legislation or executive order, comprising high-level expert from the field concerned for for maintaining a comprehensive database on the health of all existing bridges in the state.

The Public Interest Litigation has highlighted that various bridges, mostly river bridges, in the districts Araria, Siwan, Madhubani, and Kishanganj have collapsed.

(With ANI inputs)