India’s highest court has given temporary relief to thousands of people who were going to be evicted from their homes in Uttarakhand state. The court ruled that a workable solution must be found for the forced evictions. The government officials have alleged that the people facing eviction live on lands that belong to Indian Railways.
The state high court asked railway authorities to clear the land in December and only gave them a week’s notice. The residents, however, have been protesting. It is reported that about 50,000 people would be homeless if the court order was carried out. The Supreme Court ruled that the thousands of people could not be uprooted without a rehabilitation scheme put in place prior to the evictions.
Read More: India Supreme Court stays order on mass evictions
