Supreme Court: CJI-Headed Bench Refuses To Entertain Plea In Joshimath Matter, Says Approach Uttarakhand HC

A bench of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala, refused to entertain a plea seeking the court's intervention to declare the crisis in Uttarakhand's subsidence-hit Joshimath, a national disaster.

The bench asked petitioner Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati to approach the Uttarakhand High Court with his petition.

The petitioner has contended that the subsidence has occurred due to large-scale industrialisation and sought immediate financial assistance and compensation to the affected people.

The petitioner had further argued that, “no development is needed at the cost of human life and their ecosystem and if any such thing is to happen, then it is the duty of the state and union government to stop the same immediately, at war level.”

Joshimath, which is the gateway to famous pilgrimage sites like Badrinath, Hemkund Sahib and international skiing destination Auli, is facing a major challenge due to land subsidence.