The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the Union and the Tamil Nadu government to “file status reports on the steps taken to trace 85 people from the State who remain unreachable” following the floods in Nepal.
A bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and justice G Arul Murugan passed the order on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by advocate AF Parvesh Mushraf.
The PIL sought directions to the authorities to establish the whereabouts of pilgrims from Tamil Nadu affected by the disaster and ensure their rescue and safe return.
Former Madras High Court judge justice V Sivagnanam is among the Tamil Nadu pilgrims reported to be untraceable after the floods. He has not been reachable since August 26, when he last spoke to his wife.
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The state and the Centre have not yet clarified during Wednesday’s hearing whether justice Sivagnanam was among the 85 people whose whereabouts remain unknown.
{{/usCountry}}The state and the Centre have not yet clarified during Wednesday’s hearing whether justice Sivagnanam was among the 85 people whose whereabouts remain unknown.
{{/usCountry}}The Tamil Nadu government told the court that “305 people from Tamil Nadu had travelled to Nepal, most of them for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Of these, 220 had been traced and confirmed to be safe, while 85 remained unreachable.”
It told the court that it took all possible steps, in coordination with the Centre and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, to locate the missing pilgrims and bring them back safely.
It said families of those who remained untraceable had also been offered travel and other assistance to visit Kathmandu at government expense.
The bench directed the state to place on record a formal status report setting out the steps taken so far and the rescue operations currently under way. The Centre was also permitted to file its response.
The matter will be heard again after eight days.
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During the hearing, the state furnished details of the rescue and repatriation efforts. It said 21 of the 57 pilgrims who travelled through Kumbakonam-based Super Yatra were safely rescued and brought back.
Officials from Tamil Nadu House are stationed in Kathmandu and are coordinating with the Indian Embassy, Nepalese authorities and relatives of the pilgrims, the state said.
Several groups of rescued pilgrims reached New Delhi and were subsequently taken back to their native places, the government said. Food, refreshments and air tickets were provided to the rescued persons at government expense.
However, contact has not yet been established with 49 people who travelled through Chennai-based Mahadev Kailash Yatra. Efforts to trace them through the Indian Embassy are continuing, the state told the court.