BackSC to hear plea on Joshimath land sinking issue today
Joshimath sinking: A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala would hear the petition filed by Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati.
PremiumThe Supreme Court of India will today, Monday, hear a plea seeking the court's intervention to declare the crisis in Uttarakhand's Joshimath as an ‘national disaster’. The cause list of January 16 is uploaded on the apex court's website.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala would hear the petition filed by Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, according to the news agency PTI.
Joshimath, the gateway to famous pilgrimage sites like Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib and international skiing destination Auli, is facing a major challenge due to land subsidence. The town is sinking gradually with huge cracks developing in houses, on roads and fields. Many houses have tilted and are sinking, locals said.
Since the incident of land subsidence occurred, teams of many scientists and other experts are constantly visiting the areas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is keeping an eye on this whole incident.
The top court had refused urgent hearing of the plea on January 10, saying there are "democratically elected institutions" to deal with the situation and all important matters should not come to it. It had listed Saraswati's plea for hearing on January 16.
"Everything important need not come to us. There are democratically elected institutions to look into it. We will list it on January 16," the CJI had said, after the counsel appearing for the petitioner had mentioned the plea and sought its urgent listing, as per PTI reports.
The petitioner has contended that the incident has occurred due to large-scale industrialization and sought immediate financial assistance and compensation to the people of Uttarakhand.
The plea has also sought direction to the National Disaster Management Authority to actively support the residents of Joshimath in these challenging times.
"No development is needed at the cost of human life and their ecosystem and if any such thing is to happen, then it is the duty of the State and Union government to stop the same immediately at war level," the plea by the Seer said.
Meanwhile, the number of houses that have developed cracks in Joshimath has now risen to 826, of which 165 are in the "unsafe zone", a bulletin from the Disaster Management Authority said on Sunday. So far 233 families have been shifted to temporary relief centres, it added.
(With inputs from agencies)
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