Joshimath Crisis: SC Asks Petitioners To Move HC for Relief, Rehabilitation

The petition had sought the court's intervention to declare the sinking crisis in Joshimtath a national disaster.

(Photo: PTI)

The Supreme Court on Monday, 16 January, asked petitioners seeking intervention in the Joshimath crisis, to move the Uttarakhand High Court for relief and rehabilitation of affected persons.

The petition, filed by Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati had sought the top court's intervention to declare the sinking crisis in Uttarakhand's Joshimath a national disaster and sought assistance for those affected.

However, the court said: A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha and Justice JB Pardiwala said:

"As a matter of principle, we should allow the HC to deal with this. HC is ceased of a broad range of issues, we'll give you liberty to approach HC."

What's happening in Joshimath? Joshimath is facing a land subsidience problem -- wherein cracks have appeared in buildings and several people have had to be relocated because of this.

Who's to blame? The petitioner had argued in the plea that the subsidence has occurred due to large-scale industrialisation and sought immediate financial assistance and compensation to the affected people