Joshimath land subsidence: Supreme Court declines urgent hearing, says 'institutions working on it'
Last week, deep cracks began to appear on many roads in Joshimath. Several houses were seen damaged due to the cracks. On Sunday, authorities declared the town a landslide and subsidence-hit zone.
FollowThe Supreme Court on Tuesday (January 10) declined to give an urgent hearing to a petition highlighting Uttarakhand's Joshimath land subsidence issue, saying "everything important need not come to us".
The bench, comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha, said that it would hear the matter on January 16 adding that "there are democratically elected institutions working on it."
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The court's reaction came after the petitioner, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, urged the Supreme Court to hear the matter on Wednesday. The counsel told the top court that the issue was important and people were on the road.
The petitioner has sought the court's intervention to declare the land subsidence in Joshimath as a national disaster. Contending that the incident has occurred due to large-scale industrialisation, he has sought immediate financial assistance and compensation for the affected people.
Earlier, deep cracks began to appear on many roads in Joshimath. Several houses were seen damaged due to the cracks. On Sunday, authorities declared the town a landslide and subsidence-hit zone.
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Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that his government's priority is to ensure the safety of residents, who are being moved to temporary shelters.
The Chief Minister also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is monitoring the situation, and the Central government is assisting the state in relief and rehabilitation efforts.
Joshimath in Chamoli district is the gateway to the famous pilgrimage site Badrinath and the international skiing destination Auli.
