The Supreme Court on Monday requested a response from the Bihar government regarding a petition filed over multiple recent bridge collapses in the state.
The petition, submitted by advocate Brajesh Singh, called for the Nitish Kumar-led government to conduct the highest level of structural audit for all existing and under-construction bridges in the state.
A three-judge Bench, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, instructed the Bihar government and other concerned parties to reply to the petition, which seeks to demolish or retrofit weak structures based on feasibility.
The petitioner argued that the issue of bridge collapses in Bihar required urgent attention from the Supreme Court. He also called for maintaining a comprehensive database on the health of all existing bridges in the state.
“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, accounting for 73.06 per cent of the state’s total geographical area. The frequent collapse of bridges in Bihar is particularly disastrous as it endangers many lives,” reported ANI, citing the petition.
The petition further emphasized the need for the Court’s urgent intervention to protect the lives of people living in uncertainty, noting that even under-construction bridges have collapsed. It also called for continuous monitoring of all existing and under-construction bridges in the state.
Over the past two years, there have been three major incidents of under-construction bridge collapses and several other bridge collapse incidents of varying scales in the districts of Araria, Siwan, Madhubani, and Kishanganj, among others. These incidents resulted in fatalities and injuries. The petitioner attributed these incidents to government negligence and a corrupt nexus between contractors and concerned agencies.
