Addressing the frequent bridge collapses in Bihar, the Supreme Court has given a final chance for responses from the Bihar and Central governments. On Monday, the top court expressed dissatisfaction with the Bihar government's lack of response and granted them an additional 5 weeks for filing. The next hearing is slated for February 15, 2025. Lawyer Brajesh Singh has filed this petition. It also seeks the demolition or reconstruction of old and weak bridges to prevent future collapses.
The bench, consisting of retired Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice J.B. Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Mishra, demanded answers from the Bihar government, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), among others, in response to the PIL filed on July 29 by Brajesh Singh. So far, Bihar has not responded. Singh submitted an interim application on November 14, placing 15 news reports on record concerning poor bridge conditions in Bihar. He highlighted a recent tragedy in Nalanda district, where an 18-year-old died after falling from a dilapidated bridge into a river.
Singh accused the state government and NHAI of not responding to the top court's notice from July. He alleged that on November 3 in Darbhanga district, an under-construction bridge collapsed, with the responsible company clandestinely removing debris at night. Besides the state and NHAI, the court also issued notices to the Road Construction Department's Additional Chief Secretary, the Chairman of Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation Limited, and the Rural Works Department's Additional Chief Secretary. May, June, and July saw ten bridge collapses in districts like Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran, and Kishanganj, reportedly due to heavy rainfall.
The PIL highlights safety concerns about bridges in Bihar, typically lashed by heavy monsoon rains and floods. It calls for a high-level expert panel and real-time monitoring of bridges per NHAI standards. Singh stressed that Bihar is one of India's most flood-affected states, with a flood-prone area covering 68,800 square kilometers or 73.06% of its geographical territory. In response to these collapses, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ordered the Path Construction and Rural Works Departments to survey all old bridges, identifying those needing urgent repairs.
