The Supreme Court on Monday gave the Bihar government six weeks to respond to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the safety and sustainability of bridges in the state. The PIL, filed by advocate Brajesh Singh, mentions several incidents of bridge collapses in the past few months. The court described this as the “last chance” for the state government to file its response.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar also sought response from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). The court had issued notices to various authorities, including the road construction and rural works departments of the Bihar government, on July 29, 2023, but the responses remain pending.
The PIL highlights alarming incidents including a recent case in Nalanda where an 18-year-old boy died after falling from a dilapidated bridge and the collapse of an under-construction bridge in Darbhanga on November 3. Singh claims that the company involved secretly removed debris from the site overnight.
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Plea for structural audits and expert panel formation
The petitioner asks the court to conduct structural audits and establish a panel of experts to identify bridges in need of reinforcement or demolition. Singh stressed that Bihar, the most flood-prone state in India, needs urgent action to prevent further tragedies.
In view of these incidents, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has directed relevant departments to survey all old bridges in the state and identify those that need immediate repairs.
Next hearing scheduled for February 2025
The Supreme Court has listed the matter for hearing on February 15, 2025. Meanwhile, Singh has filed an interim application seeking additional news reports and evidence highlighting the dangerous state of bridges in Bihar.
The PIL emphasizes that Bihar’s geography and annual heavy rains increase the risks of deteriorating bridges. It calls for real-time monitoring systems in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to ensure public safety.
With inputs from PTI