With bridges collapsing like ninepins in Bihar, Union Minister and former state Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi blamed the onset of the monsoon and subsequent heavy rain for the incidents.

At least 12 bridges have collapsed across Bihar in the past 17 days, with the Nitish Kumar-led government coming under severe criticism from the opposition over infrastructure safety and maintenance.

"It is monsoon time. There has been an abnormal amount of rain, which is the reason behind the collapse of bridges," Manjhi said. "But, the Chief Minister of the state is very sensitive towards the investigation. He had a meeting yesterday and has given strict instructions that strict action should be taken against any kind of negligence," the Union Minister said.

The bridge collapse incidents have been reported from Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran and Kishanganj districts.

In the wake of such incidents and after facing backlash from the RJD, Nitish Kumar directed the Road Construction Department (RCD) and Rural Works Department (RWD) to immediately conduct a survey of all old bridges in the state and identify those that require immediate repair. The additional chief secretary of the Water Resources Department flagged potential lapses by engineers and contractors involved in recent de-siltation efforts for the bridge collapses.

The matter has also reached the Supreme Court, with a petition seeking directions to the Bihar government to conduct a structural audit of all existing and under-construction bridges. The plea has also sought directions to the government to demolish or retrofit weak structures.