Supreme Court Orders Bihar to Conduct Extensive Bridge Audits

The Supreme Court has asked Bihar to perform a comprehensive audit of all current and under-construction bridges in response to recent collapses. This comes after a petition by advocate Brajesh Singh, emphasizing public safety and the state’s flood risk, urging for immediate action on weak structures.

The Supreme Court issued a notice to the Bihar government on Monday requiring a comprehensive audit of all existing and under-construction bridges. This directive follows a petition by Brajesh Singh, which highlighted numerous bridge collapses in the state, raising concerns over public safety and infrastructure integrity.

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud led the bench, ordering Bihar and other concerned parties to respond to the petition. The plea emphasized the urgency of auditing these structures, especially given the state’s vulnerability to devastating floods and the potential risks to human life and public funds.

The petitioner cited several recent incidents, noting that within two years, three major under-construction bridges and various other bridges had collapsed, resulting in fatalities and injuries. The appeal called for the creation of a permanent monitoring body and a real-time health monitoring system for all bridges, akin to guidelines issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.