New Delhi: In a scathing observation over the rampant destruction caused by recent floods, the Supreme Court on Thursday issued notices to the Centre and the state governments of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir. The court expressed deep concern over the magnitude of devastation, describing the situation as “extremely serious.”
Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran highlighted shocking visuals showing hundreds of timber logs being swept away by floodwaters in Himachal Pradesh. The bench suggested that large-scale illegal felling of trees may have significantly worsened the floods. “Media reports have shown huge numbers of timber logs being washed down during the floods. This is a very serious matter,” the CJI remarked, adding that environmental damage of this scale cannot be ignored.
The Supreme Court emphasised that development must be balanced with environmental protection. Notices were also issued to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). States have been asked to respond within three weeks.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, present in court, acknowledged the gravity of the situation, stating, “We have interfered with nature so much that nature is giving back now… such situations cannot be permitted.” He confirmed he would coordinate with the Environment Ministry and state chief secretaries to take immediate remedial measures.
The petition, filed by Anamika Rana through advocates Akash Vashishtha and Shubham Upadhyay, urged the court to direct the formation of an action plan and an SIT inquiry into the reasons behind landslides and flash floods. It also demanded measures to prevent recurrence of such disasters, highlighting cases of people trapped in tunnels and near-death situations.
“The Central and state governments, despite having dedicated disaster authorities, have no effective plan to prevent or mitigate losses from disasters whose frequency is alarmingly increasing,” the plea stated. It further alleged that the ministries of Environment, Forests, Climate Change, and Jal Shakti failed to protect the pristine ecology and rivers of the Himalayan region.
