The Madras High Court has directed the Union government and the Tamil Nadu government to submit a detailed status report on measures taken to rescue and trace those missing in the Nepal floods and landslides.
The case relates to a group of 57 people from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry who travelled to Nepal on August 23 through a private tour operator, Super Yatra Travels, based in Kumbakonam. They were caught in sudden flooding and landslides on August 26, and some, including retired High Court judge Sivagnanam, were reported missing.
A public interest petition was filed by Dindigul-based advocate Parvesh Mushraf seeking directions to inform families about those rescued, those undergoing treatment and those missing, and to expedite rescue operations. The matter, initially before the Madurai Bench, was later transferred to Chennai and heard by Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan.
During the hearing, Advocate General Vijay Narayan told the court that of 305 people from Tamil Nadu who had gone on a pilgrimage to Kailash, 220 had been rescued and sent back to their home towns, while steps were underway to rescue the remaining 85. He also said families of the missing, including that of retired judge Sivagnanam, had been taken to Kathmandu at government expense.
The bench ordered the Centre and the state to file a comprehensive report on ongoing rescue efforts and adjourned the matter to next week.
