UP govt admits 82 unsafe bridges still operational, HC seeks detailed report

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has informed the Allahabad High Court’s Lucknow bench that 82 bridges across the state have been found structurally unsafe but are still in use. The disclosure was made during a hearing on a public interest litigation seeking structural studies and safety measures for old bridges in the state.

While admitting the risk, the state also told the court that alternative arrangements for these unsafe bridges are under consideration and will be implemented at the earliest. The division bench of Justice AR Masoodi and Justice Ajay Kumar Srivastava (I) directed the state to file a sworn affidavit clarifying the current status of these bridges, including their exact locations and age.

The PIL, filed by Gyanendra Nath Pandey and another petitioner, requested the court to direct the state to conduct a structural audit of all bridges, especially those that are 50 years or older, and take appropriate steps based on the findings. The petition highlighted the urgent need to assess the safety of old and potentially dangerous infrastructure.

In response to earlier court orders, the state’s counsel submitted that over 2,800 bridges have been constructed across the state and that a structural study revealed 82 of them to be unsafe. The court, while acknowledging that the government had initiated action, asked for further clarification and scheduled the next hearing in two weeks. The bench also sought details about the expert teams involved in the structural studies.

Meanwhile, the Public Works Department (PWD) has completed inspections of 721 bridges that are over 50 years old. Of these, 75 were found to be in a dilapidated condition and deemed beyond repair. The department plans to demolish these structures and construct new bridges in their place. A report on this will be submitted to the state government next week.