Aanchal Agarwal-
Published on: August 31, 2021, at 17:58 IST
The High Court of Bombay today questioned its State Government as to why Civil Defence Centres have not been set up in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg District.
The High Court noted that both these districts are very prone to natural calamities and if the Civil Defence Centres had been established earlier many people affected by calamities could have been rescued earlier.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni ordered the State Government to file a reply within 10 days.
The Bench directed the Government upon hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a former officer of the State Revenue Department.
According to the PIL, six districts in Maharashtra have been declared “multi-hazardous areas” by the authorities and directions were given to set up Civil Defence Centres in those areas.
These districts included Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Mumbai, Thane and Raigad.
The Centres which were to be established were supposed to provide assistance whenever needed in case of any calamity or hostile attack to all the individuals.
The Centres were to be established under Civil Defence Act, 1968. The services provided under the Act include rescue and relief.
Advocate Rakesh Bhatkar on behalf of his petitioner stated that the Centres were eventually set up in Mumbai, Thane and Raigad but are yet to be set up in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.
The Court then questioned the State that “What is the purpose of the Act if the centres are yet to be set up in some of the most vulnerable districts?”
The Court also held that it wants to know when the State proposes to set the centres up.
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