Nepal disaster impact: Sikkim High Court initiates PIL on climate justice

The High Court of Sikkim has taken a proactive stance by initiating a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) focusing on climate justice, following the severe impact of recent flash floods in Nepal. These floods, caused by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, resulted in a tragic loss of 1,410 lives and left 6,145 people unaccounted for in northern and central Nepal.

A Bench, consisting of Chief Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque and Justice Bhaskar Raj Pradhan, issued this PIL against the Railway Ministry, National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority, and the State Power Department on September 17. The court specifically cited the similarity between Nepal's Himalayan landscape and Sikkim's when justifying the PIL.

The Chief Justice emphasized the court's intention to provide a platform for affected individuals to express their concerns. Three legal experts were appointed as amici curiae to aid the court in examining the issues arising from the proceedings. The matter is set to be heard again on October 6. Being a disaster-prone state, Sikkim has experienced significant loss of life and property in the past, with over 1,200 fatalities between the "Great Sikkim Floods" in 1968 and the South Lhonak glacial lake outburst flood in 2023.