Appearing for Uttarakhand, deputy advocate general JK Sethi submitted before a division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad, “We have re-settled and relocated several people and a rehabilitation package is being prepared. The groundwork is being done.”
The Uttarakhand government informed the Delhi High Court Thursday that both the Centre and state government have seized of the crisis unfolding in Joshimath due to land subsidence and that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed in the area.
Appearing for Uttarakhand, deputy advocate general JK Sethi submitted before a division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad, “We have re-settled and relocated several people and a rehabilitation package is being prepared. The groundwork is being done.”
The bench was hearing a plea seeking constitution of a high-power committee, chaired by a retired high court judge, to look into the sinking of land and development of cracks in over 500 houses in Joshimath. The plea, moved by Delhi-based advocate Rohit Dandriyal, who is a permanent resident of Kotdwar in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district, sought a direction to the Centre to inspect the affected areas and rehabilitate the displaced residents as soon as possible.
Sethi drew the court’s attention to the fact that the Supreme Court, while considering a similar plea on Tuesday, had said that “there are democratically elected institutions which can deal with matters which fall within their control”. The matter in the Supreme Court is listed for hearing on January 16, Sethi said, adding that two committees have already been formed to look into the issue.
Dandriyal said since the matter is listed on January 16 in the Supreme Court, an adjournment may be granted. “Please take it up on January 17,” he said, adding that he will withdraw his plea if the apex court passes an order in the matter. The HC granted his request for adjournment and listed the matter for hearing on February 3.
The PIL states that as a result of continued land subsidence, cracks have developed in at least 570 houses in Joshimath, affecting 3,000 residents. “After the sinking of land, apparently caused by climate and infrastructural changes, over 60 families are reported to have left the town. Officials said 29 families were taken to safer places by the administration. Nearly 500 families are either risking their lives by still living in the houses, or are looking for accommodation at other places amid the biting cold. The municipality chief said more than 3,000 people are affected. That is over 10 per cent of the city’s population,” the plea says.
The plea states that a representation was made by Dandriyal on January 6 to the three ministries to constitute a “high-power joint committee to look into this immediately for the affected areas” so that rehabilitation of people can be started as soon as possible “because every second is crucial to avoid any other casualty”.
The plea also claims that the construction activity carried out by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Power, New and Renewable Energy in Joshimath has “worked as a catalyst in the present scenario.”
