THE SUPREME COURT TODAY expressed grave concern over the devastation caused by floods and landslides in the Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab, and pointed to prima facie evidence of illegal felling of trees in the hills.
A bench of Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran, while referring to media footage showing timber logs being swept down by floodwaters in Himachal Pradesh, remarked, “It is a serious matter. From the media reports, it is also noticed that in the flood, huge numbers of wooden logs were flowing around. Prima facie, it appears that there has been illegal felling of the trees which has been going on up hills.”
The bench issued notices to the Union through the Ministries of Environment and Jal Shakti, the National Disaster Management Authority (‘NDMA’), the National Highways Authority of India (‘NHAI’), and to the states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, seeking their responses within two weeks. The matter has been posted for further hearing thereafter.
The Chief Justice, expressing anguish, observed: “We have seen unprecedented landslides and floods in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab. We are seeing the pictures of Punjab, the entire fields and villages are eradicated. Development has to be balanced.”
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, asked by the bench to take note of the issue, acknowledged the seriousness of the situation.
