SC notice to UoI, U'khand on PIL to prevent epidemics

The Supreme Court today sought response from the Centre on a PIL seeking directions to prevent outbreak of epidemics in the wake of heavy rainfall, floods and landslides in Uttarakhand.
A bench of justices A K Patnaik and M Y Eqbal also issued notice to the Uttarakhand government on the plea which said hundreds of bodies allegedly buried under debris or lying in the open could lead to outbreak of epidemics if effective steps are not taken by the authorities to prevent it.
The public interest litigation (PIL) alleged poor disaster management by the flood-ravaged state.
The Bench also sought response from Uttar Pradesh Government on the contention that diseases could spread to some neigbouring districts in the state as there is a likelihood of river Ganga being contaminated due to decaying bodies which could not be fished out.

The PIL also made Delhi Government as party on the ground that it too has to take steps to provide basic facilities to "Kanwariyas" on their way from national capital to Haridwar in Uttarakhand.
The petition, filed by Swami Achyutanand Tirth through advocate Anurag Tomar, said, "The situation can worsen, if immediate steps are not taken by the State Governments and Central Government, for an area which has already not been able to deal with catastrophic disaster brought by the massive rainfall, floods and landslides.