The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has reported the collapse of 26 bridges across national highways in India over the past three financial years. This tally includes 15 operational bridges and 11 still under construction, leading to a total of six fatalities, all occurring at sites of under-construction bridges.
The breakdown reveals a troubling pattern: of the 26 collapses, six resulted in loss of life. Specifically, the fatalities occurred exclusively at under-construction sites, underscoring potential gaps in oversight during the critical phases of bridge erection. Notably, three under-construction bridges in Bihar—two in the fiscal year 2022-2023 and one in 2023-2024—were involved in these tragic incidents, claiming the lives of two individuals. The MoRTH highlighted that while it remains primarily responsible for the development and upkeep of national highways, these collapses reflect broader systemic issues in bridge construction and maintenance. The ministry conducts periodic condition surveys of existing bridges as part of its project planning and development strategy. These surveys are integral to identifying necessary repairs, rehabilitations, or reconstructions to ensure structural integrity.
Further measures have been initiated by the ministry to enhance bridge safety. New guidelines for inspection and condition surveys have been established, focusing on real-time structural health monitoring through both continuous and discrete methods. The MoRTH has also introduced the Indian Bridge Management System, a comprehensive tool designed for rigorous condition assessments and informed decision-making regarding repairs and upgrades. Of the 15 functional bridges that failed, the distribution was widespread: two each from Haryana, Odisha, and Manipur; and one each from Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura. Fortunately, these incidents did not result in any casualties.
The Sikkim collapse at Singtam-Tarku, which led to two fatalities, was attributed to extreme weather conditions, including heavy rainfall and a glacial lake outburst flood. This incident highlights the need for robust weather impact assessments as part of bridge construction and maintenance planning. The ongoing challenges underscore the critical need for stringent enforcement of safety standards and proactive infrastructure management to prevent future tragedies and ensure the safety of India’s vast network of national highways.
