The Supreme Court on Thursday raised serious concern over recent landslides and floods in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, noting that videos displayed large numbers of logs floating in floodwaters, suggesting potential illegal tree felling in hill areas.
A bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran has issued notices to the central government, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the National Highways Authority of India, and the governments of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Punjab.
The court acknowledged unprecedented landslides and flooding across multiple Himalayan states and remarked that the presence of so much timber in floodwaters gives the impression that deforestation may have been occurring uphill.
Addressing Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, the Chief Justice emphasized the severity of the situation. Mehta responded that he would coordinate with the Secretary of the Environment Ministry to ensure the matter is promptly addressed by the relevant state authorities.
The plea brought before the court was filed by a resident of Panchkula, Anamika Rana. It calls for the formation of action plans, a specialized investigative team, and a comprehensive geological and ecological study to prevent future disasters and preserve the fragile Himalayan environment.
The court has given the respondents two weeks to respond to the notice. It also stated its intention to balance development with environmental safeguards, noting the widespread nature of the destruction—the bench expressed concern that unchecked development may be exacerbating such calamities.
