Himachal HC Suo Moto Registers PIL Against State Govt. Over Kullu Tragedy

The Himachal Pradesh High Court in a suo moto action registered a public interest litigation over Kullu dam tragedy and directed the chief secretary to file a status report about the cause of incident, the rescue and relief operation, details about warning systems installed at Larji dam site and the procedures observed before discharge of water that washed away 24 engineering students of a Hyderabad based institute on yesterday evening.

The court gave the chief secretary time till 16 June to file the status report.

Making a media report the basis of registering the case, vacation judge Justice Tarlok Chauhan observed, “in case the water has been discharged without any warning as alleged, then prima-facie, it is established that it is not only a case of callousness, but a case of grave negligence on the part of the project authorities.”

Justice Chauhan also noted, “it cannot be said to be an error of judgement or accident inasmuch as it was the duty of the authorities to have at least issued warning and resorted to the usual and common method blaring the siren so as to ensure evacuation of the river bank before discharging of water.

Other than the chief, secretary home, secretary power, managing direct HP State Electricity Board, DGP, District magistrates and SPs of Kullu and Mandi, superintending and resident engineers of Larji project have been made respondents to the public interest litigation.