Joshimath crisis: PIL for high power committee, withdraws from Delhi HC

New Delhi [India], February 7 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Tuesday allowed to withdraw a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking direction to constitute a committee and direction to representatives of all relevant ministries to look into this immediately for the affected areas of Joshimath, Uttarakhand, who work for the rehabilitation of people.

The bench of Justice Satish Chander Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad allowed to withdrew PIL filed by lawyer Rohit Dandriyal after the State of Uttarakhand represented by Dy. Advocate General Jatinder Kumar Sethi pointed out that the Supreme Court had on January 16, 2023, directed another similar PIL Petitioner to approach the Uttarakhand High Court since the same issue was pending before a Division Bench at Nainital. Earlier, the Delhi High Court was informed by the Uttrakhand Government that the Centre and State Governments seriously taking all the best possible steps in regard to the crises of the Joshimath matter. It was also informed by Uttrakhand Government Counsel that National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State National Disaster Response Force have been deployed, and relocated many residents and special rehabilitation packages are also being given.

Uttrakhand’s lawyer earlier submitted that both centre and State are seized of the matter. NDRF and SDRF have been deployed. Committees have been formed to look into rehabilitation and mitigation efforts. Work is being done on the ground. We have relocated affected people.

The petitioner Rohit Rohit Dandriyal, a practising lawyer earlier stated that the construction activity done in the town of Joshimath, Uttarakhand in past years worked as a catalyst in the present scenario, by these activities respondents violated the fundament right of the people right of the residents of the Joshimath, Uttarakhand.

The plea further stated that at present the respondent has to act as a welfare state and duty bound to extend modern amenable living facilities to the citizens. it is pertinent for the union of India to take cognizance of the plight of the people of people Garhwal region of Uttarakhand and take note to provide the citizens with basic facilities important to lead a dignified and respectable life.

Life in the hill town of Joshimath in Uttarakhand has been disrupted in the recent days as residents took to the streets to demand action for the cracks that have developed in their houses.

“In one of the strangest phenomena to strike the holy town nestled in the serene hills of Chamoli at the height of 6,000 feet, houses started developing cracks and damages since 2021, leaving residents anxious and worried. Since the first reports of the cracks in 2021 after landslides in Chamoli, over 570 houses have sustained damages or cracks as residents experienced seismic tremors repeatedly in the subsequent years,” stated the plea.

The Joshimath, also known as Jyotirmath, is a city and a municipal board in Chamoli District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Located at a height of 6150 feet (1875 m), it is a gateway to several Himalayan mountain climbing expeditions, trekking trails and pilgrim centres like Badrinath.

“It is home to one of the four cardinal pithas established by Adi Shankara. Since 7 February 2021, the area was severely affected by the 2021 Uttarakhand flood and its aftermath,” the plea further read. (ANI)