The apex courtroom's strongly worded observations got here whereas it refused to intervene with a Himachal Pradesh Excessive Courtroom order upholding a authorities notification declaring sure areas as “inexperienced space” to curb development exercise.
“The state of affairs within the state of Himachal Pradesh has gone from unhealthy to worse,” a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan noticed on July 28. “If issues proceed the way in which they're as on date, the day just isn't far when your complete state of HP could vanish in skinny air from the map of the nation. God forbid this does not occur.”
The courtroom was listening to a plea difficult the state's June 2025 notification and, whereas dismissing the petition, used the chance to underline the environmental disaster unfolding within the Himalayan state.
‘Income can't be earned at the price of ecology'
The bench urged each the state and central governments to rethink their growth priorities, cautioning that the pursuit of income should not come on the expense of ecological sustainability.
“We need to impress upon the state authorities and Union of India that incomes income just isn't the whole lot. Income can't be earned at the price of surroundings and ecology,” the courtroom stated. It blamed human exercise—moderately than nature—for worsening disasters reminiscent of landslides, land subsidence, and street collapses. “It isn't proper guilty solely nature for the catastrophe in Himachal Pradesh. People, not nature, are answerable for phenomenon reminiscent of steady land sliding of mountains and soil, landslides on roads, collapsing of homes and buildings, subsidence of street and so on.” The courtroom recognized unchecked infrastructure growth—together with hydropower tasks, four-lane highways, multi-storey constructions, and deforestation—as the most important causes of environmental degradation.
Local weather change, tourism, and unchecked development
The highest courtroom additionally pointed to the rising affect of local weather change within the area, together with shifting snowfall patterns, rising temperatures, and extra frequent excessive climate occasions. These modifications, it famous, have critical implications for farming, horticulture, and eco-tourism within the state.
“With forests encompassing greater than 66 per cent of the overall land space, Himachal Pradesh is famend for its considerable magnificence and greenery. However the hazard to this pure richness is rising because of human greed and apathy,” the bench stated.
Whereas acknowledging that hydropower is a renewable and low-carbon power supply, the courtroom warned of its environmental prices. “Massive-scale development of dams, reservoirs, and tunnels comes with appreciable environmental prices,” it stated.
The courtroom additionally flagged different contributing elements reminiscent of forest fires, encroachments, overgrazing, and concrete enlargement. It famous that the surge in tourism, whereas a key financial driver, has strained the state's fragile ecosystem. “If left unchecked, the strain from tourism might severely undermine the ecological and social material of the state.”
The bench known as for the involvement of geologists, environmental specialists, and native communities in planning any growth within the ecologically delicate Himalayan area. It additional urged that each one Himalayan states ought to work collectively to make sure growth is undertaken with an understanding of regional challenges.
Centre, state should act: SC
Emphasising that each the Centre and Himachal Pradesh authorities bear duty, the courtroom stated, “All that we need to convey right now is that it's excessive time the state of HP pays consideration to what we've noticed and begins taking vital motion on the earliest in the correct route.”
“The Centre additionally owes an obligation to see that ecological imbalance within the state doesn't get additional disturbed and pure calamities don't happen,” it added.
Stating that “one thing is healthier than nothing,” the bench directed the Supreme Courtroom registry to register the matter as a public curiosity writ petition. It additionally requested the Himachal Pradesh authorities to file an in depth reply explaining whether or not it has an motion plan to handle the disaster and what steps it proposes for the longer term.
The matter will subsequent be heard on August 25.
(With inputs from PTI)
