By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun/Nainital, 23 Sep: While hearing a PIL filed in respect of Joshimath disaster, Uttarakhand High Court observed that the government should not keep the reports of such cases secret and share them with the common people. At the same time, the Court granted relief to the Chief Secretary from personally appearing in the court. The court has withdrawn the order given to the Chief Secretary to appear in the court.
Earlier, the High Court had ordered the Chief Secretary to appear before the court in person or virtually for not taking seriously the order given in the case of continuous land subsidence in Joshimath. In January 2023, the court had directed the government to form a committee of independent expert members to investigate the matter, and the court had insisted also that the committee should include geologists Piyush Rautela and MPS Bisht.
The case was heard before the division bench of Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi, and Justice Alok Kumar Verma. An affidavit was submitted by the government that it had consulted the experts concerned and has also attached their report. Taking cognizance of the submission by the government, the High Court went on to relieve the Chief Secretary from personal appearance. The court also commented in the case that the government should not keep such reports secret and instead should share them with the common people.
The PIL had been filed by social activist PC Tiwari, who had claimed that the problems of the people are being ignored by the state government, and that no strategy has been made for their rehabilitation. Joshimath can be destroyed at any time. The administration has identified six hundred such buildings which have cracks, which are increasing. It has also been said in the petition that in 1976, the Mishra Committee had given a detailed report regarding Joshimath to the government in which it had been said that Joshimath is made of soil and sand-pebbles and there is no strong rock here. Land subsidence can happen at any time. The report of Piyush Rautela and MPS Bisht dated 25 November 2010, has also been cited. Shortcomings in preparation to deal with the disaster were also enumerated. The court has given instructions to take the report from the expert committee.
