J&K floods deserves ‘national response’, says SC

NEW DELHI: Plight of nearly five lakh people marooned in the Jammu & Kashmir floods reached the Supreme Court, which on Friday said such a calamity "deserves national response." It asked the Centre to apprise it on Monday of steps undertaken to accelerate rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations.
“We have no doubt the government of India will take all necessary steps forthwith for rescue, relief and rehabilitation of 5 lakh people affected by the disaster.It may consider forming a unified agency to coordinate operations. It goes without saying that supply of food, drinking water and medicines deserves top priority so also restoration of communication,” observed a bench of Chief Justice R M Lodha, Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman.
The apex court was hearing two petitions -- a PIL by Vasundhra Pathak Masoodi and another by advocate Bhim Singh. Both had urged the court to intervene seeking direction to the Centre to declare the present situation in the valley as a national disaster.
The court advised them and senior lawyer Colin Gonsalves to submit their list of suggestions on increasing number of helicopters as well as rescue sorties to the Attorney General so that the Centre can benefit from these.
CJI Lodha also highlighted the need for “Jammu & Kashmir High Court to start functioning from some accommodation” since it will symbolize that constitutional authorities are working even in such calamitous situation. The CJI said he had spoken to the chief justice of the high court on this count. As flood waters have entered the high court building, Justice Lodha said it could function from an alternative accommodation.
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi assured the bench that the government is leaving no stone unturned in rescue and relief operations. “A committee headed by the Prime Minister is overseeing and coordinating the operations. The Chief of the Army Staff is personally monitoring the operations. Entire armed forces are operating in the most difficult circumstances and even in the face of stone-pelting,” Rohatgi told the court.
"Don't treat this as an adversarial litigation. In the past also this court has intervened when disaster of high magnitude struck Uttarakhand and other states," the bench said while seeking response by Monday.