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Floods

Punjab and Haryana High Court Directs State to File Affidavit on Flood Relief Measures After Six Weeks

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the state to file an affidavit on relief and rehabilitation measures for flood victims after six weeks, when the ongoing flood crisis is expected to subside. The decision was made in response to a batch of Public Interest Litigations (PILs) seeking minimum standards of aid under Section 12 of the Disaster Management Act, including food, potable water, sanitation, shelter, lighting, and medical care. The court expressed concern that immediate disaster management efforts could be hindered by legal proceedings, with officials being diverted from disaster management to prepare replies.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the state to file an affidavit on relief and rehabilitation measures for flood victims after six weeks.
  • The decision was made in response to a batch of Public Interest Litigations (PILs) seeking minimum standards of aid under Section 12 of the Disaster Management Act.
  • The court expressed concern that immediate disaster management efforts could be hindered by legal proceedings, with officials being diverted from disaster management to prepare replies.
  • Counsel Gurmohan Preet submitted comparative data from the 1988 floods, which affected 9,000 villages, highlighting similarities with the current crisis.
  • The judges noted that the Supreme Court had already taken cognisance of similar issues in the case of Anamika Rana on September 4, which highlighted environmental degradation in the Himalayan region.
  • The high court cited media reports suggesting that a huge number of timber logs were flowing in the floodwaters, prima facie indicating that illegal tree felling has been taking place across the hills.

Statistics:

  • 9,000 villages affected by the 1988 floods
  • The current flood crisis has seen unprecedented landslides and floods in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab
  • The state has been ordered to file an affidavit on relief and rehabilitation measures for flood victims after six weeks

Sources:

  • Live Law
  • Hindustan Times

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