In response to the recent Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat, which left 137 people dead, a public interest lawsuit has been instituted in the Supreme Court.
Once the PIL was filed, the CJI was informed of the situation and asked to take urgent action by forming a Judicial Inquiry Committee that would operate under the direction of a retired Supreme Court judge. Vishal Tiwari, the petitioner in person, stated that "many other states demand the examination of structures to prevent similar occurrences."
"You move swiftly. What are you pleading for?" CJI UU Lalit enquired. On Sunday, October 30, the bridge had fallen in the evening.
The creation of a Judicial Inquiry Commission is my first request, Tiwari stated. Following that, the CJI ordered the case to be listed on November 14. According to Tiwari, the 141-year-old suspension bridge that was dangling over the Machchhu river collapsed due to carelessness and a complete lack of administration on the part of government officials. He contends that a reasonable duty of care and upfront repair and development efforts might have prevented the accident.
According to Tiwari, the bridge reopened last week following maintenance and repairs. But in a short period of time, the bridge gave way, sending individuals plummeting into the river and ultimately resulting in their deaths, he claimed.
"The maintenance and repairing work was delegated to a private operator that is Oreva Group who had absolutely failed in the functioning of maintenance and repair with the absolute failure of the State Government to supervise and administer the risk and suitability of such British time bridges. The State Government has failed in its duty of care of overseeing the functionality of the bridge along with its timely maintenance," the plea states.
It asks for guidance on how to organise a committee that will evaluate and analyse the risk of ancient and dangerous monuments and bridges in order to ensure environmental sustainability and safety.
Tiwari also calls for the establishment of a Construction Incident Investigation Department in each State so that swift and thorough investigations can be conducted whenever such incidents occur. This department will also be tasked with evaluating any ongoing public construction projects for quality and safety.