Bilaspur: The Chhattisgarh High Court has delivered a significant ruling regarding the natural disaster relief policy. The court clarified that if a person dies due to a fall from a tree during a storm and heavy rain, it shall be considered a death caused by a natural disaster. Setting aside the Revenue Department’s order refusing compensation, the court directed the state government to provide financial assistance of ₹4 lakh to the deceased’s kin within 30 days. The case pertains to the Mohla area of Rajnandgaon district, where Shyamuram Mandavi had climbed a tree on July 16, 2020, to harvest lac. During this time, a strong storm and rain began, causing him to fall from the tree; he subsequently died from severe injuries. The police had registered a case (Marg) and completed the necessary formalities, including the investigation and post-mortem.
The deceased’s son, Amar Singh, had applied for compensation of ₹4 lakh under the state government’s natural disaster relief policy. Although the Naib Tehsildar recommended granting compensation based on the investigation report and documents, the Additional Collector rejected the claim on February 1, 2021, stating that a death caused by falling from a tree did not fall within the scope of the scheme.
During the hearing, Section 6 of the Revenue Book Circular (RBC) dated June 9, 2015, was cited before the court. This section classifies deaths resulting from the fall of a tree or its branch—or deaths occurring—during conditions such as storms, excessive rainfall, or floods as incidents caused by an act of God or a natural disaster. The High Court held that Shyamuram Mandavi’s death was indeed caused by a fall from a tree during a storm; therefore, it falls under the category of a natural disaster. Setting aside the Additional Collector’s order, the High Court directed the state government to pay compensation of ₹4 lakh to the petitioner, Amar Singh, under the natural disaster relief policy within 30 days.
