The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a petition seeking wide-ranging directions to minimise earthquake-related risks across the country, remarking pointedly that such issues fall squarely within the government’s policy domain.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a petition filed by a litigant appearing in person, who claimed that earlier, only Delhi was considered a high seismic zone, but new assessments indicate that nearly 75% of India’s population now falls within high-risk zones.

The bench responded with a sharp rhetorical question: “So we should relocate everyone to the moon or where?”

The petitioner cited a recent major earthquake in Japan to argue for proactive steps within India. The bench interjected again, saying, “First we have to bring volcanoes

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