Joshimath: SC declines urgent hearing, says institutions working on it

The Supreme Court bench on Tuesday declined to give an urgent hearing to a petition highlighting the land subsidence issue in Joshimath town of Uttarakhand, saying “everything important need not come to us”.

“There are democratically elected institutions working on it,” the court said. The bench, comprising Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha, said it would hear the matter on January 16.

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 SC bench 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.

Last week, deep cracks began to appear on many roads in Joshimath. Several houses, too, showed signs of damage. On Sunday, authorities declared the town a landslide and subsidence-hit zone.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami has said that his government’s priority is to ensure the safety of residents, who are being moved to temporary shelters. He has 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.