GOMATHI AUGUSTIN Vs. STATE OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Instant public interest writ petition is filed for a direction to the respondent - State of Kerala, to take immediate action for providing adequate amount of compensation or an equivalent package to the victims of Munnar Pettimudi landslide, not less than in value of the amount given to the victims of Karipur Aircraft clash.

(2.) Facts leading to the filing of instant writ petition are that the petitioner claims to be a Block Panchayat Member in Devikulam Block Panchayat. He is working for the welfare of the people of Munnar, especially for Tea Estate workers, who are most downtrodden. He is the founding leader of Pembilai Orumai, a trade union movement exclusively for women.

(3.) Petitioner has further stated that a landslide happened at 10.45 p.m., on August 6, at Pettimudi ward under Munnar Village Panchayat. Workers of Kannan Devan Hills Plantations company were living in Pettimudi. Rajamala includes Eravikulam National Park and the landslide was triggered from Shoal forest region in the national park. Rocks, slurry and sludge crashed down a distance of around 1 1/2 kms to a patch of valley in Pettimudi, crushing the single-room house of estate workers that stood in two rows. Sheet roofed quarters, 12 of them were rescued by residents of another settlement. So far 50 bodies have been recovered in the rescue operation. Only those, who were away from the site at that time, have survived. Nineteen school children have either died or are still missing.