Supreme Court seeks Centre's response on plea to protect Himalayan States after landslides, floods rock the region

The Supreme Court on Thursday took serious note of the devastating landslides and floods that have hit Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir [Anamika Rana v. Union of India].

Notably, the Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai and Justice Vinod Chandran also flagged recent reports of a large number of cut wooden logs floating in flooding areas of Himachal Pradesh, which indicated large-scale illegal tree felling in the area.

"We have seen unprecedented landslides and floods in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. From the media reports, it is noticed that in the flood, a huge number of wood was flowing along. Prima facie, it appears that there has been illegal felling of trees," the Court said.

It urged the Central government, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, to treat the matter seriously.

"SG, please take note of this. It appears as a serious issue. Large number of wooden logs was seen to be falling around and it shows illegal felling of trees. We have seen pictures of Punjab ... entire field and crops are inundated. Development has to be balanced with mitigating measures," said CJI Gavai today.

Solicitor General Mehta assured that the matter is being treated with due seriousness and that he would speak the the Secretary of the Environment Ministry.

"We have interfered with nature so much that nature is giving back now. I will speak to the secretary of the Environment Ministry and he will speak to Chief Secretaries. It cannot be permitted," SG Mehta said.

"There are also issues where people are trapped in tunnels and it's near death situation," added a counsel before the Court.

"Yes, we have noticed the seriousness of the issue," replied the CJI.

The Court was hearing a plea filed by environmentalist Anamika Rana seeking guidelines and an inquiry to prevent ecological disasters and to protect Himalayan States, particularly in view of recurring landslides and flashfloods in the area.

This public interest litigation (PIL) petition was filed seeking the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) involving experts to find out the reasons for such disasters and to determine how to preserve the delicate ecology of Himalayan States.

Among other incidents, the petitioner highlighted several recent environmental disasters such as cloudbursts, flashfloods and landslips in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Punjab, which have lead to fatalities.

The Court today issued notice on the plea and sought the response of various government authorities, including the Central government, the National Disaster Management Authority, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, the National Highways Authority of India, and the governments of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.

The Court is likely to hear the case after two weeks.

The petition was filed through advocate Shubham Upadhyay.

Recently, another Bench of the top court led by Justice JB Pardiwala had warned that the unchecked ecological degradation in Himachal Pradesh could lead to the State’s disappearance. The Court had made the observation while dismissing a challenge by a private company against a June 2025 notification that declared Shri Tara Mata Hill as a green area and prohibited fresh private construction.

At the time, the Court also invoked its powers to initiate a suo motu public interest litigation petition on the wider issues of environmental protection and climate vulnerability in the State. It further directed the State and Union governments to submit action plans for addressing the ongoing environmental crisis in the State.