Kerala High Court Orders Safety Inspection Of Temporary Bridges For Thirunavaya Maha Magha Festival

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday (20 January) directed an inspection by the Public Works Department (PWD) of the temporary bridges constructed on Bharathapuzha river in connection with the ongoing Maha Magha Mahotsava in Thirunavaya.

Justice C Jayachandran, gave the directions in a petition challenging the stop memo issued by the revenue authorities halting the construction of the bridge over alleged violation of the Kerala Riverbank Protection Act, 2001.

The Court observed that an order dated January 17, 2026, by the District Collector had appointed an Executive Magistrate in connection with the matter, none of the authorities had issued any order prohibiting or denying the conduct of the religious festival.

Senior counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted that the respondents had not taken any proactive steps to intervene in or restrain the Mahotsava. However, the Government Pleader expressed serious safety concerns, particularly regarding the temporary bridge allegedly constructed at the site. According to the GP, the bridge may not be structurally capable of bearing the load of the massive crowd, which the petition itself estimates to exceed 10 lakh devotees.

While clarifying that the State was not opposed to the conduct of the religious event, the GP submitted that any drastic action, if taken, was solely in the interest of public safety. The GP also raised concerns regarding compliance with environmental safeguards and the mandatory green protocol.

In response, senior counsel for the petitioner stated that they would not stand in the way of legitimate security measures and agreed to a joint inspection. It was suggested that officials from the PWD be directed to assess the structural integrity of the bridge and surrounding infrastructure.

The Court thus directed the Executive Engineer, PWD, Tirur, to conduct an inspection of the Mahotsava premises on an urgent basis, preferably by the next day. The Superintendent of Police was also directed to be present during the inspection. The Executive Engineer was instructed to recommend immediate remedial and safety measures necessary to manage large-scale crowd movement and avoid any potential mishaps.

The Court further ordered that any remedial steps suggested be promptly implemented, noting that the Mahotsava is scheduled to conclude on February 3, 2026. The District Collector was directed to ensure that necessary actions are initiated by the concerned departments without delay.

The matter is posted on 27 January, for further consideration.

Case Title: M K Vinayakumar v District Collector and Ors

Case No: WP(C) 2173/ 2026

Counsel for Petitioner: Amith Krishnan H, Anna Mary Mathew, Manavi Muraleedharan, Kavya K P