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The Supreme Court took note of the monsoon-led devastation in Himachal Pradesh and asked the state government to submit detailed reports on the region’s fragile ecology.
Shimla: Repair and restoration work underway after a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall (Photo: PTI)
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the state of Himachal Pradesh and the Himalayan region as a whole were facing a “serious existential crisis” as unregulated development activities compounded natural vulnerabilities.
It also directed the Himachal Pradesh government to file comprehensive and verified responses on issues concerning the state’s fragile ecology and environmental conditions, in the wake of the unprecedented monsoon rains that wreaked havoc across the state during the monsoon season this year.
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Earlier, the court had remarked that humans, and not nature, were responsible for recurring landslides, collapsing buildings, and sinking roads, with factors such as hydropower projects, four-lane highways, deforestation, and multi-storey constructions contributing significantly to the disaster.
This came after the Supreme Court bench took cognisance of videos showing wooden logs floating in flood waters, which suggested trees were illegally being cut in the Himachal mountains.
On August 25, the court had appointed senior advocate K Parameshwar as amicus curiae, assisted by advocate Akashi Lodha. After examining the state’s interim report, the amicus prepared a detailed questionnaire covering ecological and developmental concerns.
According to the details, the court had sought information on zoning activities, forests and tree covers, compensatory afforestation, climate change, roads, hydroelectric projects, mining and heavy machinery, and tourism and constructions.
The bench had directed the Himachal Pradesh government to submit its complete responses before the next hearing on October 28, 2025.
“Does the state of Himachal Pradesh have a climate change policy? If yes, details/ copy of the same to be placed on record,” one of the questions by the court read.
It also asked if the state has conducted any study of the present as well as future projections of the effect of climate change on the ecosystem of Himachal Pradesh.
The bench sought details of measures, if any, employed by the state to pre-emptively mitigate the damages caused by climate change and sought information on disaster management plans and its implementation.
“Details of funds allocated for disaster management in the state for the last twenty years and the details of utilisation thereof, to be placed on record,” it said.
The bench also sought details of state and national highways in the state, with specific details on the number of four-lane highways.
ALSO READ | The Earth Cracked Open: No Landslide, But This Himachal Village Sank Into The Ground
About the Author
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
September 24, 2025, 17:01 IST
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