Supreme Court Moves PIL for Bridge Audit to Patna High Court
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Synopsis
The Supreme Court of India has transferred a public interest litigation to the Patna High Court, calling for a structural audit of all bridges in Bihar. This decision follows numerous bridge collapses in the state, highlighting urgent safety concerns.
Key Takeaways
- Supreme Court transfers PIL to Patna High Court.
- Request for a structural audit of bridges in Bihar.
- Multiple bridge collapses raise safety alarms.
- Need for a permanent expert body for monitoring.
- Bihar faces severe flooding risks affecting infrastructure.
New Delhi, April 2 (NationPress) The Supreme Court on Wednesday shifted a public interest litigation (PIL) to the Patna High Court, requesting a structural audit of all bridges in Bihar, whether recently completed, under construction, or old.
After reviewing the counter-affidavit from the Bihar government, a bench led by CJI Sanjiv Khanna determined that the Patna HC is capable of conducting timely and suitable hearings.
The bench, which also included Justice Sanjay Kumar, ordered, "The registry is instructed to send the files to the Patna High Court within 4 weeks, and the involved parties should present themselves before the High Court on May 14, 2025."
Last July, a bench under the former CJI D.Y. Chandrachud issued notices requiring responses from the Bihar Departments of Road Construction and Rural Works, the Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
The PIL demands that the Bihar government create a permanent body of high-level experts for ongoing monitoring of both existing and under-construction bridges, alongside maintaining a detailed database on their health.
Filed by advocate Brajesh Singh, the PIL emphasizes the urgent need for the apex court's intervention, highlighting that in the past two years, three significant under-construction bridges collapsed, among other incidents in Bihar.
"The frequent collapse of bridges in Bihar indicates a failure to learn from past mistakes. The safety of essential infrastructure like bridges is not treated with the seriousness it deserves. These incidents can’t merely be labeled as accidents; they are manmade disasters," the PIL stated.
The plea further noted that Bihar is India's most flood-prone state, with around 68,800 square km, or 73.06 percent, of its geographical area affected by floods. As such, the repeated incidents of bridge failures are particularly disastrous, necessitating immediate action from the Supreme Court to protect the lives of citizens.
The PIL also requests the Bihar government to establish an effective policy or framework for real-time monitoring of both completed and ongoing bridge projects, similar to the measures developed by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
