'Take concrete steps, instead of holding meeting': SC to Punjab, Haryana on flooding in villages
Darpan News Desk IANS, 15 Nov, 2022 11:41 AM
New Delhi, Nov 15 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Punjab and Haryana governments to take concrete steps instead of holding meetings in connection with the flooding in 25 villages due to overflowing of river Ghaggar.
A bench of Justices M.R. Shah and M.M. Sundresh said the common man is not interested in meeting, but interested in a solution. "Every state government should consider the public interest first above the politics," it said.
The bench noted that after its last orders in the matter, except two meetings of the Ghaggar Standing Committee, no concrete steps have been taken by the state governments on the recommendations made by the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune.
It directed the state governments to submit the proposed detailed project reports (DPR) to implement the recommendations made by CWPRS, in its final model study report.
Counsel representing Punjab and Haryana governments urged the apex court to grant four weeks time to prepare and submit the DPR on the implementation of the CWPRS recommendations and earlier orders passed by the court.
The bench noted that DPRs should be absolutely in tune with the recommendations of the CWPRS, and no state should deviate from the same.
It gave four weeks' time to submit the DPR and also the orders passed by the court and scheduled the matter for further hearing on January 3 next year.
The bench asked Chief Secretaries of both states present before it to take up the issue seriously and sincerely.
The top court was hearing a plea filed by Nagar Panchayat Moonak and others in connection with over-flooding in Ghaggar Basin which was affecting 25 villages in Punjab and Haryana.
It, in August, had directed Punjab and Haryana governments to take measures recommended by the CWPRS to resolve the issue of flooding in 25 villages due to overflowing of the Ghaggar.
While directing officials to ensure safe return of the remaining students and other persons stuck in Ukraine, he said the state government is sparing no effort to help the distressed families in this hour of crisis.
Over 700 Indian students are stuck in Sumy and they are running out of basic necessities like food and water and they have been urging the Indian government to get them evacuated from there.
Over 7,400 Indian nationals are expected to be evacuated under the 'Operation Ganga' in the next two days, the government said on Thursday. The Centre has initiated an airlift operation to evacuate Indians, who have found their way to the neighbouring countries of war-torn Ukraine.
This advisory, prepared by the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, warns about aerial raids, missile attacks, artillery shelling, small arms and gunfire, grenade explosions and 'Molotov cocktails', including by local people/militia.
The flight IX-1202 with 183 passengers, including an infant, arrived at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at around 5.40 a.m. The evacuees were received by Union Minister of State for Railways Raosaheb Danve-Patil with flowers and words of solace as they trooped out lugging their belongings.
"Indian students are being pushed out of trains, they are not allowed to board, if questioned they are being assaulted and guns are being pointed at them,". There are many incidents where Indians were asked to leave bunkers. Ukraninans are telling Indian students that India is not supporting them and why should they help them?
