New Delhi: Every state government should consider public interest before politics, the Supreme Court observed on Tuesday as it asked Punjab and Haryana to take concrete steps, rather than just hold meetings, to address the problem of flooding in 25 villages due to overflowing of river Ghaggar.
The apex court said except two meetings of the Ghaggar Standing Committee no concrete steps have been taken by these states on the recommendations made by the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune, after the last orders passed by the top court in the matter.
"The common man is not interested in meetings but is interested in finding out the solution. Every state government should consider the public interest first above the politics," a bench of Justices M R Shah and M M Sundresh said in its order.
In August, the apex court had directed Punjab and Haryana governments to take measures recommended by the CWPRS, Pune, to find a solution to the problem of floods experienced in 25 villages due to overflowing of river Ghaggar.
On Tuesday, the bench said though status reports are filed on behalf of the states concerned, it appeared no further concrete steps are taken except holding the meetings.
It directed the states concerned to prepare and submit the proposed detailed project reports (DPR) to implement the recommendations made in the final model study report submitted by the CWPRS, Pune, and the orders passed by the apex court within four weeks.
The apex court was hearing a plea filed by Nagar Panchayat Moonak and others highlighting the problem of over-flooding in Ghaggar Basin which was affecting 25 villages in Punjab and Haryana.
"Though the major portion of the affected area is the state of Punjab, the state of Punjab has not taken the matter very seriously," it said.
"It is very unfortunate that, after the last orders passed by this court, except two meetings of the Ghaggar Standing Committee, no further concrete steps are taken either by the state of Punjab and/or state of Haryana on the recommendations made by the CWPRS, Pune," it said.
Noting that chief secretaries of the concerned states are present before it, the bench impressed upon them to take up the issue "very seriously and sincerely" so that people of 25 villages do not have to suffer any further.
The lawyers appearing for the states of Punjab and Haryana urged the apex court to grant four-week time to prepare and submit the DPR on the implementation of the CWPRS, Pune, recommendations and earlier orders passed by the court. "The detailed project reports shall be absolutely in tune with the recommendations/report of the CWPRS, Pune, and no state shall deviate from the same," the bench noted. It has posted the matter for hearing on January 3 next year.