|
The Supreme Court on Monday expressed concern over the risk of natural disasters in the Himalayan region after landslides and monsoon fury caused widespread death and destruction across Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir.
The apex court said that it will pass orders on September 23 on the suo motu cognisance it took over the ecological imbalance in the state. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta said that the issues extend beyond Himachal Pradesh, and it said that it intends to expand the scope of the PIL to cover the entire Himalayan region. "It isn't going to be limited to Himachal only, but the entire Himalayan range that is facing the issue. This time it has been very, very violent," said the bench. The top court said it will pass orders on the issue on September 24. On July 28, a different bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan had said Himachal Pradesh might "vanish in thin air" if the situation did not change. It had then taken suo moto cognisance of the issue. It was then dealing with a petition against an order of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, which declined to entertain a plea challenging the state's June 2025 notification declaring certain areas as green areas. While refusing to interfere with the High Court's order, the top court had said the apparent reason for issuing the notification was to curb construction activities in a particular area. It had been observed that the situation in the state had deteriorated, and it was said that climate change was having a "visible and alarming impact". According to experts and various reports, the major causes of destruction in the state were hydropower projects, four-lane roads, deforestation, multi-storey buildings, etc., it had noted. The apex court had said that it was important to seek the opinion of geologists, environmental experts and locals before undertaking development projects. It is also called tourism, a significant source of income in the state, but it flagged the uncontrolled growth of tourism, straining the environment there. The bench had said the Centre also owed an obligation to ensure the ecological imbalance in the state did not deteriorate further or face natural calamities and directed the top court registry to register a writ petition in public interest on the matter. The apex court had asked the state to file an appropriate reply explaining whether they have any action plan to address the issues and what they propose to do in future. Death and destruction are frequently occurring events in India's Himalayan states, primarily due to floods, landslides, and avalanches, exacerbated by climate change and human activities like deforestation and unplanned construction. The fragile region is highly susceptible to these disasters during the monsoon season, with significant incidents in 2025, 2023, 2021, and 2013 causing numerous fatalities, widespread damage to infrastructure, and the destruction of homes and villages. (ANI)
|
