The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Jammu & Kashmir Government to urgently address concerns of sanitation and health as it feared that the next round of deaths in the State following the tragic floods could be due to possible outbreak of epidemic.
The bench headed by Chief Justice RM lodha asked the State Government to work on war footing to address issues of waste water management, sewage treatment and hygiene and report on the progress made on this front by Wednesday.
The bench, also comprising Justices Kurian Joseph and Rohington F Nariman, requested the Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to convince Union Health Secretary to convene meeting with State counterparts to reach medicines, doctors and paramedics to the affected districts at the earliest. “If there is an epidemic and loss of life it will be very bad,” the bench said.
With the focus on providing food, portable drinking water, medicines, shelter and blankets (as winter sets in) the Court said, “At least 4.5 million people (out of 6.9 million estimated population of Kashmir valley as per Census 2011) are badly affected in the aftermath of floods. Question is whether steps undertaken for relief and rehabilitation are adequate to meet requirements of the affected people,” said the bench.
The bench impressed upon J&K Additional Advocate General and Attorney General that any shortfall in providing supplies deprived individuals of their basic right to life and living with dignity. “lack of supply of these items impinge upon the human rights and amount to violation of Article 21 of Constitution.”