New Delhi, Aug 2: The Supreme Court has flagged the ecological imbalance in Himachal Pradesh and cautioned that the entire state may “vanish in thin air” if the situation does not change.
Observing that the situation in Himachal Pradesh has gone from bad to worse, the apex court said climate change is having a “visible and alarming impact” on the state.
“We want to impress upon the state government and the Union of India that earning revenue is not everything. Revenue cannot be earned at the cost of the environment and ecology,” a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said.
“If things proceed the way they are as of this date, the day is not far when the entire state of HP may vanish in thin air from the map of the country. God forbid this doesn’t happen,” it said.
The top court made the observations on July 28 while 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 area”.
While refusing to interfere with the high court’s order, the apex court said the obvious reason for issuing the notification was to curb construction activities in a particular area.
“The situation in the state of Himachal Pradesh has gone from bad to worse. The severe ecological imbalance and other environmental conditions have led to serious natural calamities over the years,” the bench said.
It noted that nature is definitely “annoyed” with the activities that are going on in Himachal Pradesh.
“It is not right to blame only nature for the disaster in Himachal Pradesh. Humans, not nature, are responsible for phenomena such as continuous land sliding of mountains and soil, landslides on roads, collapsing of houses and buildings, subsidence of roads, etc,” it said.
The bench said, according to experts and various reports, the major causes of destruction in the state are hydropower projects, four-lane roads, deforestation, and multi-storey buildings.
It observed that Himachal Pradesh is nestled in the lap of the Himalayan mountains, and it is important to seek the opinion of geologists, environmental experts and locals before any development project is undertaken there.
The bench said that, taking advantage of the state’s natural beauty, the government started constructing four-lane roads to promote it as a tourist destination.
“With forests encompassing more than 66 per cent of the total land area, Himachal Pradesh is renowned for its abundant beauty and greenery. But the danger to this natural richness is growing as a result of human greed and apathy,” it said.
The bench said unrelenting building, tunnel and road construction, frequently done without sufficient environmental planning, has increased the area’s susceptibility to natural disasters and effects of climate change.
Stating that Himachal Pradesh is often referred to as the “power state” of India due to its significant hydropower potential, the bench said, “While this form of energy is renewable and low-carbon, large-scale construction of dams, reservoirs, and tunnels comes with considerable environmental costs.”
It said the state has been witnessing rising average temperatures, shifting snowfall patterns and an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.
“These changes threaten not only the environment but also the livelihoods of local communities dependent on farming, horticulture, and eco-tourism. Deforestation and forest degradation are major concerns,” it said.
It also flagged forest fires, encroachments, overgrazing and expansion of agricultural and urban areas as contributing factors.
The bench said the pace of infrastructure development in the state has intensified in recent years, driven by the twin goals of connectivity and tourism.
Projects like four-lane highways, ropeways, tunnels and urban expansions often bypass environmental safeguards, it said.
The apex court also said that tourism is a major source of income in Himachal Pradesh, but the uncontrolled growth of tourism has strained the state’s environment.
“If left unchecked, the pressure from tourism could severely undermine the ecological and social fabric of the state,” it said.
Referring to the peculiarities in the Himalayan region, the bench said there is a need for all the Himalayan states to collate resources and expertise so as to ensure that development plans are cognizant of these challenges.
“All that we want to convey today is that it is high time the state of HP pays attention to what we have observed and starts taking necessary action at the earliest in the right direction,” it said.
The bench said the Centre also owes an obligation to see that the ecological imbalance in the state does not get further disturbed and natural calamities do not occur.
“Of course, much damage has been caused, but there is a saying that ‘something is better than nothing,’” the bench observed, as it directed the apex court registry to register a writ petition in public interest in this regard.
“We expect the state to file an appropriate reply explaining whether they have any action plan to meet the issues we have discussed and what they propose to do in future,” it said.
The bench also said the registry shall notify the matter before it after obtaining an appropriate order from the Chief Justice of India.
It posted the matter for hearing on August 25.
