Following heavy rainfall that led to flooding in the parking area of the Punjab and Haryana High Court premises, the High Court has taken suo-motu notice of the situation. The court’s action comes after members of the High Court Bar Association raised concerns about severe water-logging in the lanes leading to the High Court and the flooding of the parking area, which disrupted court proceedings.
A division bench consisting of Justice Sureshwar Thakur and Justice Sudeepti Sharma initiated this response based on the complaints from the Bar Association. The court attributed the water-logging issue to negligence on the part of the Municipal Corporation and the administration. The court noted that there seemed to be a lack of preventive measures taken by the administration to avoid such incidents from happening again. Consequently, the High Court stated that there is prima facie evidence of negligence on the part of the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, and/or the relevant administration.
The bench emphasized that the premises of the Punjab and Haryana High Court are of historical significance and play a crucial role in the states of Punjab and Haryana, including Chandigarh. The court expressed concern over the Municipal Corporation’s failure to maintain an efficient drainage system, raising questions about its effectiveness. As a result, the High Court has decided to take suo motu cognizance of the apparent negligence and has referred the matter to the Principal Division Bench for further action.