Supreme Court disposes of application seeking orders to convert hotels etc into quarantine centres for migrant workers

The Supreme Court today disposed of an application seeking the usage of hotels, resorts, and other unoccupied premises as quarantine centres for migrant workers exposed to the threat of the Coronavirus pandemic..The plea had sought conversion of appropriate premises for isolation and quarantine facilities, in view of the fact that the shelters set up for migrant workers don't have adequate sanitation facilities..The Bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and Deepak Gupta took up the plea for hearing today via video conference..The Court's attention was drawn to the wide powers under Section 65 of the National Disaster Management Act, 2005, under which alternative self-contained accommodation such as unoccupied builder flats, government offices/guest houses, sadans can be acquired immediately to set up facilities to combat the spread of COVID-19. The petitioner submitted that these self contained-accommodations might be more cost effective, less time-consuming and are already equipped with electricity, water, power back up, lifts, ventilation, better sanitation, hygiene, and security..While disposing of the application, the Bench observed that many people were coming up with many ideas to deal with the Coronavirus pandemic. The Court stated that it cannot hear everyone in this respect, and that the government cannot listen to all ideas..Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta stated that the state governments were already in the process of acquiring unoccupied builder flats, offices etc. After hearing the parties, the Court disposed of the application, while observing that further suggestions on the issue may be sent to the SG's office..Advocates Arjun Syal and Mithu Jain, who also drew the application along with Advocate Vidisha Kumar, appeared for the applicant..The application has sought for directions to the concerned authorities to identify suitable premises across the country that can be temporarily acquired for being used as isolation or quarantine centres at a time when India is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic..The applicant has invoked Section 65 of the Disaster Management Act read with Section 2 and 2A of the Epidemic Diseases Act. It is also prayed that the authorities may be directed to give preference to explore and acquire self-containing accommodations for these facilities before taking recourse to using railway coaches as quarantine centres..The applicant says that at a time like this when India is under lockdown and yet there continues to be a spike in the number of cases of Coronavirus infections, the need of the hour is for more accommodation centres for isolation and quarantine purposes.."It would be appropriate at this stage to pitch in all available resources before the situation forces the health system to collapse."Application filed in Supreme Court.According to the application, news reports suggest that the Indian Railways has begun preparing for converting railway coaches into isolation and quarantine centres to add to the available facilities. However, it is submitted that given the contagious nature of the novel Coronavirus, it is imperative that highest level of sanitation and hygiene is maintained. .Therefore, facilities such as hotels, guest house, state bhavans, bed and breakfast facilities, private builder flats yet to be handed over etc, ought to be considered for temporary conversion into isolation and quarantine facilities, it is argued..The applicant has thus submitted that available properties and facilities may be identified by the authorities and can be used for isolation and quarantine purposes or for shelter for the stranded migrant workers.