A Public Interest Litigation( PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Bihar government for a thorough structural inspection and constitution of a high- position expert committee to identify any weak bridges that might need to be demolished or strengthened. The petition has been filed in the wake of reports regarding the collapse of 9 bridges in the last 15 days ( including under-construction bridges). According to the petitioner, the defeats raise significant concerns about the safety and trustability of ground architectures in the region, especially considering that Bihar is the most flood-prone state in India.
Matter of Concern
The PIL, filed by advocate and petitioner Brajesh Singh, raised concerns about the safety and life of the bridges in the state that substantiated cataracts and heavy rains during thunderstorms. The petitioner said it was a matter of grave concern that Bihar is the most flood tide-prone state in India. The total flood-tide-prone area in the state is 68,800 square km which is 73.06 per cent of its total geographical area.
The petitioner has said 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 in the state is 68,800 sq. km which is 73.06 percent of the total geographical area. Hence such routine accrual of the incident of falling bridges in Bihar is more dangerous as the lives of many people are at stake.
A special committee in action
Besides setting up a high-position expert panel, the petitioner has also sought real- time monitoring of the bridges as per the parameters of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The petitioner has also requested the allocation of a directive to the representatives, specifically Bihar, to establish an effective endless body through legislation or administrative order. This body would comprise high- position experts from applicable fields for nonstop monitoring of all being and under- construction bridges in Bihar and for maintaining a comprehensive database on the condition of all existing bridges in the state. ” Hence a similar routine addendum of the incident of falling bridges in Bihar is more dangerous as lives are at stake. Thus the critical intervention of this court is needed to save the lives of people, as the under- construction bridges before its accomplishment collapsed routinely,” the petitioner said. In response to recent ground collapse incidents, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has instructed the road construction and pastoral workshop departments to survey all old bridges in the state and identify those in need of critical form.
The Public Interest Litigation has stressed on various bridge collapses, substantially river bridges located in Araria, Siwan, Madhubani, and Kishanganj among others in Bihar. In the wake of similar incidents and after facing counterreaction from the opposition, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar chaired a meeting and directed the Road Construction Department( RCD) and Rural Works Department( RWD) to conduct a check of all old bridges in the state immediately and identify those that require immediate repair.
