The Supreme Court, on April 2, transferred
to the Patna High Court a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought the
formation of a high-level committee to investigate the recurring collapses of
bridges in Bihar.
A bench
comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar was
hearing the PIL, which requested directions to the Bihar government for a
comprehensive structural audit and the establishment of an expert committee to
assess the integrity of existing bridges and determine whether any need to be
reinforced or demolished. After reviewing the Counter Affidavit submitted by
the State of Bihar, which outlined the ongoing inspections and measures taken,
the bench decided to transfer the petition to the Patna High Court. CJI Khanna,
while delivering the decision, remarked, "We have gone through the
counter, and we are transferring this to the Patna High Court. The affidavit
provides details of inspections and actions being undertaken."
During
the proceedings, the petitioner’s counsel highlighted that despite multiple
bridge collapses in the state; no independent third-party inspection had been
conducted so far, underscoring the need for a more thorough investigation.
Justice
Kumar also weighed in to point out that, "3 under construction bridges
collapsed! The concerned officials were suspended for a while and then brought
back. Everyone is hand in glove". The Counsel for the state of Bihar
submitted that the departmental proceedings have been initiated and are ongoing
against the concerned officials. The CJI then verbally observed, "We will
transfer it to the High Court, let them monitor it on a monthly basis". The
Counsel for the State also informed that more than 10,000 bridges have been
inspected.
The
bench proceeded to pass the following order:
"Having
regard to the nature of the controversy, the Counter Affidavit ...We are of the
opinion that the present writ petition be transferred to the High Court of
Patna, which can conduct expeditious and appropriate hearings from time to
time. The registry is directed to transfer the files to the Patna High Court
within a period of 4 weeks, parties to appear before the High Court on 14th of
May, 2025".
In July
2024, a bench comprising CJI DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj
Misra issued a notice in response to the PIL. The petition, filed the same
month, was prompted by reports of at least nine recent bridge collapses,
including those under construction. It highlighted serious concerns about the
safety and reliability of Bihar’s bridge infrastructure, particularly given
that the state is the most flood-prone in India. The PIL calls not only for a
structural audit but also for the establishment of a high-level expert
committee. This committee would conduct a thorough examination and ensure
continuous monitoring of bridges to guarantee public safety. It also emphasizes
the frequent bridge collapses in riverine areas, particularly in the districts
of Araria, Siwan, Madhubani, and Kishanganj.
"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 per cent of the total geographical area. Hence
such routine accrual of the incident of falling bridges in Bihar is more
disastrous as the lives of people at large are at stake. Therefore the urgent
intervention of this Hon'ble Court is required to save the lives of people, as
the under-construction bridges before its accomplishment collapsed
routinely," the petitioner said.
The
petitioner requested real-time monitoring of bridges using the methodology
established by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of
India, as outlined in its policy dated March 4, 2024, for the Preservation of
National Highways and the Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
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