The Punjab and Haryana High Court spontaneously addressed the flooding issue in its parking area, caused by heavy rainfall on Thursday. This incident disrupted court proceedings, impeding lawyers from attending to their cases.
Justices Sureshwar Thakur and Sudeepti Sharma, presiding over the division bench, took action upon receiving a complaint from members of the High Court Bar Association. They raised concerns about severe water-logging in the lanes leading up to the High Court and the subsequent flooding of the parking area.
The court attributed the water accumulation to potential negligence on the part of the Municipal Corporation and the administration.
According to the High Court, there seemed to be a lack of preventive measures taken by the Administration to prevent such incidents from recurring. Hence, prima facie, there appears to be negligence on the part of the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, and/or the concerned Administration.
The bench emphasized the historic and cultural significance of the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s building, stressing its importance in the states of Punjab and Haryana, including Chandigarh. The Municipal Corporation’s failure to uphold a proper drainage system at this esteemed location raised doubts about its effectiveness.
Consequently, the High Court deemed it appropriate to self-initiate cognizance of the apparent negligence and referred the matter to the Principal Division Bench for further action, as stated in the court order.
