STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: A division bench of the Gauhati High Court, comprising Chief Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice Mridul Kumar Kalita, asked the State Government to ensure the supply of potable water to the shelter camp at Doboka in Hojai. Several children were reported to have been suffering from diarrhoea, vomiting, headaches, nausea, etc. in the camp recently. The media report made the High Court take a suo motto PIL (2/2023) and appointed Advocate BD Konwar as the Amicus Curiae.
Amicus Curiae visited and inspected the site of the temporary shelter at Changmaji Gaon, Mouza-Jamunamukh, subdivision-Daboka in Hojai. He filed a detailed inspection report prepared by him. The report indicates that there is a lack of proper drinking water facilities in the camp. Thus, as an immediate remedial measure, a properly filtered water supply is
needed in the camp. A few more salutary suggestions are given by the Amicus Curiae in his report.
The bench ordered the State Government to follow the instructions submitted by the Amicus Curiae. The government should immediately address the issues highlighted in the report. "Potable water supply shall immediately be started in the camp. The steps taken or proposed to be taken for rehabilitation of the displaced families shall also be elaborated in the counteraffidavit to be filed on behalf of the State Government within ten days," the bench said.
The Court said that the government advocate shall also apprise this Court regarding the exact number of similar shelter camps in the entire State of Assam where people who have been displaced on account of eviction drives are being housed. The statistics would include the gender-wise distribution as well as the number of children sheltered in all these camps, the order said.
The PIL has been listed for May 8, 2023.