The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday directed the Centre and the State governments to file counter affidavits to the public interest litigation petition that sought a direction to the Centre to release funds from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for carrying out relief works in the flood-affected southern districts of Tamil Nadu.
A Division Bench of Justices P. Velmurugan and N. Senthilkumar, considering the nature of relief sought, directed the authorities to file their counter affidavits in one week. The court was hearing the petition filed by C. Anand Raj of Madurai.
The petitioner has also sought a direction to the Centre to declare the unprecedented rainfall recorded in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi and Kanniyakumari districts and the floods as ‘calamity of severe nature’ under the National Disaster Management Plan.
He said that the people of the four southern districts were affected by the unprecedented rainfall. It had left many parts inundated and there was massive damage to infrastructure. Agriculture and fishing activities were also affected.
Houses were damaged, buildings, roads and bridges had collapsed and electricity connection had been disrupted. There was no proper distribution of essential commodities like water, milk and food. People lost their livelihood and suffered financial loss. Though it might take some time to restore normalcy in the areas, it would take an even longer time to restore the damaged infrastructure and financial loss, he said.
He pointed out that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin had submitted a memorandum to the Centre seeking the immediate release of funds from the National Disaster Response Fund. He said that the Centre should immediately release ₹2,000 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund on the basis of the request made by the Tamil Nadu government for carrying out relief works in the flood-affected southern districts of Tamil Nadu. The court adjourned the hearing in the case by one week.
