The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear a petition concerning the Joshimath “land-sinking” incident in Uttarakhand on January 16.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said democratic institutions are taking care of the situation on the ground.
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“Institutions are there which are taking care,” Chief Justice Chandrachud told advocate Parmeshwar Nath Mishra, who is appearing for the petitioner, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, during the oral mentioning hour.
Mr. Mishra had urged the court to hear the case urgently and out-of-turn, saying “people are suffering”.
The petition wants the incident to be declared a national disaster while blaming large-scale industrialisation as a reason. It sought immediate financial assistance and compensation for the affected people. It also sought a direction to the National Disaster Management Authority to actively support the residents of Joshimath in this challenging time.
“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 said.
A resident gets emotional prior to leaving her house that has been marked unsafe by the district administration due to land subsidence, in Joshimath on January 10, 2022. | Photo Credit: ANI
Joshimath, the gateway to famous pilgrimage sites like Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib and international skiing destination Auli, is reported to be sinking gradually with huge cracks developing in houses, roads and fields there.
