New Delhi: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a structural audit of all recently completed, under construction, and old large and small bridges in the state of Bihar.
Advocate Brajesh Singh has filed the petition in the Supreme Court highlighting various media reports related to bridge collapses in Bihar. The petition stated that some people succumbed to injuries and others were injured in these unfortunate man-made incidents. The petition also mentioned that any day, major incidents resulting in the loss of human lives and public funds could occur due to the gross negligence of the government and the corrupt nexus of contractors and concerned agencies.
Hence, the petitioner has urged the top court to issue various directions to the Bihar Government for making proper policies or mechanisms for real-time monitoring of the constructed, old, and under-construction bridges. This should be done on the same analogy as developed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, dated 04.03.2024, for the preservation of National Highways and Centrally Sponsored Schemes. It was issued as mandatory guidelines titled, "Identification and Implementation of Real-time Health Monitoring of Bridges using Sensors" to the states, including the respondent.
"Issue a writ in the nature of Mandamus or such other appropriate writ, order, or direction, directing the respondents, specifically the State of Bihar, to conduct the highest level structural audit of all existing bridges and under-construction bridges in the state and to demolish or retrofit weak structures depending on feasibility," the petition urged.
"Issue a writ in the nature of Mandamus or such other appropriate writ, order, or direction, directing the respondents, specifically the State of Bihar, to make an efficient permanent body through legislation or executive order, comprising high-level experts from the concerned fields for continuous monitoring of all existing and under-construction bridges in the State of Bihar, and also for maintaining a comprehensive database on the health of all existing bridges in the state," urged the petitioner.
The petition submitted that the back-to-back collapse of bridges in Bihar clearly indicates that no lessons have been learned and that the safety of critical infrastructure like bridges is not taken seriously. These routine incidents cannot be termed merely accidents but are man-made disasters.
"It is a matter of grave concern that in a state like Bihar, which is the most flood-prone state in India, the total flood-affected area is 68,800 sq. km., which is 73.06% of the total geographical area of the state. Hence, such routine occurrences of bridge collapses in Bihar are more disastrous as the lives of many people are at stake. Therefore, the urgent intervention of this Hon'ble Court is required to save the lives of people who are currently living in uncertainty, as under-construction bridges routinely collapse before their completion," the petition said.
