Why is the SC seeking Bihar govt's response in bridge collapse incidents?

The Supreme Court has directed the Bihar government to respond to a petition demanding structural audits of all bridges, following recent collapses

The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Bihar government in response to a petition seeking thorough structural audits of all existing and under-construction bridges.

The court’s notice follows a plea from advocate Brajesh Singh, who had called for the highest level of structural audits for bridges across the state. The petition aimed to address the frequent bridge collapses in Bihar by advocating for the demolition or retrofitting of weak structures.

A Bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud instructed the Bihar government and other concerned respondents to reply to the petition.

What did the petition seek regarding Bihar bridge collapses?

The petition indicates that in the last two years, three major under-construction bridges in Bihar have collapsed, resulting in injuries and fatalities. Additionally, various other large, medium, and small bridges have also collapsed, which Singh attributes to gross negligence and corruption by the government and contractors.

The petitioner stated that it is a grave concern in a flood-prone state like Bihar, where 73.06 per cent of the total geographical area is flood-affected. The routine collapse of bridges, especially under-construction ones, poses a significant risk to the lives of many people, necessitating urgent court intervention.

The petition seeks appropriate direction for Bihar to establish a proper policy or mechanism for real-time monitoring of bridges, similar to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on March 4, 2024. This policy would cover the preservation of National Highways and Centrally Sponsored Schemes and include the identification and implementation of real-time health monitoring of bridges using sensors.

Permanent bridge oversight body proposed

Further, Singh demands the creation of a permanent oversight body comprising field experts for continuous monitoring of all bridges within the state. This body would be tasked to maintain a database to keep track of all existing and under-construction bridges. The petition references the collapse of various river bridges in locations like Araria, Siwan, Madhubani, and Kishanganj to illustrate the widespread nature of the issue.

The petitioner also sought the establishment of a permanent body through legislation or executive order, comprising high-level experts for continuous monitoring of all existing and under-construction bridges in Bihar, as well as maintaining a comprehensive database on their health.

Incidents of bridges collapsing throughout Bihar

The recent series of bridge collapses in Bihar, with over 10 incidents reported within a month, has raised significant concerns about the state's infrastructure integrity and safety. This troubling pattern has garnered considerable attention and sparked serious questions about structural reliability.

In the past four weeks, bridge collapses have been reported in several districts, including Siwan, Saran, East Champaran, Madhubani, Araria, Muzaffarpur, and Kishanganj. Many attribute these structural failures to heavy rainfall.

In total, over 10 bridges have collapsed in the Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran, and Kishanganj districts in the past month.

 The latest incident took place in mid-July, a day after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar directed the road construction and rural works departments to conduct a survey of all old bridges in the state and identify those that require immediate repair.

Nitish Kumar’s response to bridge collapses

In response, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has mandated an investigation by the relevant department, instructing authorities to take decisive action against those found responsible for these failures.

The Bihar government has suspended at least 15 engineers in connection with the series of recent bridge collapse incidents reported from various districts, including Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran, and Kishanganj.