Plea seeks SC intervention to clear blockades put up due to farmers’ protest

A Delhi-based trust has moved the Supreme Court, seeking its intervention to clear the blockades put up on account of the farmers’ protest at New Delhi’s borders. The plea said the blockades “are aggravating the distress” from Covid-19 and “can be a new super-spreader of infection” for the national capital and neighbouring cities.

The application by SKM Foundation said at a time when the “GNCT of Delhi is already under immense distress” due to Covid-19, “these borders and road blocks are aggravating the distress and causing immense trouble to various affected patients and/ or their relatives/ attendants.”

Due to the continued blockades, “various patients/ individuals are exploring the possibilities of availing the requisite first aid-cum-medical facilities and supply of essential supplies through the adjacent neighbouring cities, wherever accessible and available, only with the intent to save the life of their loved ones.” It is also hindering and unduly delaying efforts of non-for-profit organisations etc. to make available essential supplies in Delhi, the plea said.

The plea claimed that as per the Delhi Traffic Police, public roads at Ghazipur Border, Singhu Border, Mungeshpur Border, Harewali Border and Tikri Border, connecting Delhi with neighboring states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, are blocked.

The plea, which has been filed in the SC’s suo motu matter on Covid-19 management, said that a substantial population living in NCR has families in these neighbouring states, and in view of the pandemic, is “anxious to reach out to their families and loved ones with whatever medical aid and support that they can muster. Unfortunately, the free movement on public roads is hindered by protestors thereby compelling the people to take alternative routes thereby spending more time on roads passing through several villages which should have been avoided in the present times.”

The plea, filed through advocate Gaichangpou Gangmei, added, “Needless to say, the travelling time has also become rough as the affected patients/ individuals don’t have the convenience of travelling through the national highways in lieu they are constrained to travel through under constructed roads and clustered villages in the vicinity of the national highways”.