Hope for Sunderkhal: Legal Intervention for Basic Amenities

The Uttarakhand High Court has ordered inclusion of District Legal Services Authority members in a committee to facilitate the relocation of Sunderkhal villagers, who lack basic amenities. The move aims to ensure Forest Rights Act compliance and provision of essential services like electricity and water in this remote area.

The Uttarakhand High Court has taken a significant step towards addressing the plight of Sunderkhal villagers by mandating the inclusion of District Legal Services Authority members in the relocation committee. These villagers have long been deprived of basic amenities such as electricity and water, leading to years of demand for relocation.

Chaired by Chief Justice G Narendra and Subhash Upadhyay, the court directed state authorities to ensure that residents are granted land leases under the Forest Rights Act and provided with necessary services. This decision could finally meet the basic needs of these forest-dwelling families.

The move comes after a Public Interest Litigation filed by the Independent Media Society highlighted the appalling conditions in which the villagers have been living since 1975. Despite promises made by a committee formed in 2014, the villagers remain in a highly remote region without essential services.

(With inputs from agencies.)