Following a series of bridge collapses in Bihar, the state government is under scrutiny as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeks urgent action to address safety concerns and structural integrity.
A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court, seeking directions to the Bihar government to establish an expert committee and conduct a structural audit to assess all existing bridges that need strengthening or demolition based on their evaluations.
Within the past 16 days, ten bridges have reportedly collapsed in Bihar’s Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran, and Kishanganj districts.
The latest incident occurred in Saran of a 15-year-old bridge overlooking the Gandaki River, marking the third bridge collapse in the district within 24 hours, disrupting connections between the villages in Saran and the Siwan district. No deaths or casualties were reported.
Previously, on Wednesday, two small bridges in Janta Bazar and Lahladpur, respectively, collapsed in Saran district. The structural integrity of the older bridges has been called into question. Locals believe that heavy rainfall may have played a role in these incidents by weakening the structures and leading to the collapse of the bridges.
The PIL, filed by advocate and petitioner Brajesh Singh, expressed concerns over the safety and durability of bridges in Bihar, a state that experiences significant flooding and heavy rains during the monsoon season.
In addition to forming a high-level expert panel, the petition called for real-time bridge monitoring in accordance with the standards set by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
The petitioner highlighted the grave concern that Bihar is the most flood-prone state in India, with 68,800 square kilometres, or 73.06% of its total area, affected by floods. The plea seeks urgent action since, over the past two years, several under-construction and existing bridges have collapsed in Bihar, leading to the loss of lives and significant financial damage to property.
What action is the Bihar government taking?
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his administration have ordered an investigation into the matter and demanded that those responsible be held accountable. He has directed the road construction and rural works departments to survey all old bridges in the state and pinpoint those needing urgent repairs. The Bihar Water Resources Department (WRD) has tasked chief engineers with monitoring river levels in North Bihar, which have risen due to continuous rain in Nepal.
Why are bridges in Bihar collapsing?
Chaitanya Prasad, the additional chief secretary of the Water Resources Department (WRD), attributed the failures in Siwan and Saran to the age and substandard construction of the bridges. He noted that many of these structures did not meet necessary construction standards and had shallow foundations, making them vulnerable during floods.
Experts and retired engineers have pointed to the use of inferior materials, non-compliance with design specifications, poor quality control, and inadequate supervision as the primary reasons for the frequent collapses. Meanwhile, some government officials have blamed the heavy inflow of water from Nepal as a significant factor.
District Magistrate Aman Samir mentioned that one bridge in the Janta Bazar area was 100 years old, and another in Lahladpur was built 25 years ago. He noted that a high-level investigation is underway. According to local residents, the recent heavy rains may have contributed to the bridge failures.
Earlier this year, on March 24, the country witnessed the collapse of its longest under-construction bridge, spanning 10 km over the Kosi river in the Supaul district of Bihar , which resulted in one death and nine injuries. The bridge was part of the Bharatmala project, had its foundation laid by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in 2014, and was valued at Rs 1,700 crore.
