The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea seeking the court’s intervention to declare the crisis in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath a national disaster.

According to the cause list of January 16 uploaded on the apex court website, a bench of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices P.S. Narasimha and J.B. Pardiwalawill hear the petition filed by Swamy Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati.

Joshimath is facing a major challenge due to land subsidence. Joshimath is thinking gradually with huge cracks developing in houses, on roads and fields.

Many houses have tilted and are sinking, locals said. On January 10, the top court had refused urgent hearing of the plea, saying there are“democratically elected institutions” to deal with the situation and all important matters should not come to it.

It had listed Saraswati’splea for hearing on January 16.

"Everything important need not come to us. There are democratically elected institutions to look into it. We will list it on January 16,” the CJI had said, after the counsel appearing for the petitioner had mentioned the plea and sought its urgent listing.

The petitioner has contended that the subsidence has occurred due to large-scale industrialisation and sought immediate financial assistance and compensation for the people of Uttarakhand.

The plea has also sought a direction to the National Disaster Management Authority to actively support the residents of Joshimath in these challenging times.

“No development is needed at the cost of human life and their ecosystem and if any such thing is to happen, then it is the duty of the state and the Union government to stop the same immediately at war level,” the plea by Saraswati said.