SC to consider listing PIL related to recent bridge collapses in Bihar

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider listing for hearing a plea that raised concerns about the safety and longevity of bridges in Bihar after several of them collapsed in recent months.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, in July 29 this year, had sought responses from the Bihar government and others, including the National Highway Authorities of India (NHAI), on the public interest litigation (PIL).

On Monday, a lawyer representing the petitioner, advocate Brajesh Singh, mentioned the plea for hearing.

"I will look into this," the CJI said and asked whether an email regarding this was sent to his office.

 

The PIL 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 NHAI, the top court had also issued notices to the road construction department's additional chief secretary, Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited 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 during May, June and July this year. Many claimed that heavy rainfall might have led to the incidents.

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

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

The petitioner highlighted 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, he mentioned.

"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 plea read.

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.