PIL on Joshimath land subsidence mentioned in Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of India. (File image)

Religious leader Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati has approached the Supreme Court of India through a public interest litigation (PIL) pertaining to the recent land sinking incidents in Joshimath, Uttarkhand, according to a report by LiveLaw.

The PIL seeks the Joshimath crisis to be declared as a national disaster and directs National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to actively support the residents of Joshimath.

Also read: In Pics | 600 families to be evacuated amid Joshimath sinking incident

The plea has also prayed for financial assistance and compensation to the residents of Joshimath. The matter was mentioned before a bench comprising of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha, the report added.

Also Read | Joshimath crisis: Why a 43-year-old report on the Uttarakhand city is prophetic

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had visited Joshimath on January 7 to assess the situation on the ground, a day after he directed the immediate evacuation of around 600 affected families.

Secretary Border Management and Members of NDMA will visit Joshimath on January 9 to assess the situation.

Chamoli District Magistrate (DM) Himanshu Khurana said Joshimath has been declared a landslide-subsidence zone and over 60 families living in uninhabitable houses have been moved to temporary relief centres, according to a PTI report.

Considering the extent of the damage, at least 90 more families will have to be evacuated as soon as possible, said Kumar, who heads a committee tasked with monitoring the situation on the ground level.

There are a total of 4,500 buildings in Joshimath and 610 of these have developed huge cracks, making them unfit for habitation, he added.

Also Read | Explainer: Why Joshimath is sinking, and its larger environmental repercussions