Himachal Pradesh may vanish in thin air, SC warns of ecological imbalance

Flagging the ecological imbalance in Himachal Pradesh, the Supreme Court has 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.

"If things proceed the way they are as on 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," a bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan said.

The top court made these observations on 28 July 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 a period of years," the bench said.

It noted the nature definitely is "annoyed" with the activities that are going on in Himachal Pradesh.

The bench said according to experts and various reports, the major causes of destruction in the state are hydropower projects, four-lane roads, deforestation, multi-storey buildings, etc.

The judges observed that Himachal Pradesh is nestled in the lap of Himalayan mountains and it is important to seek the opinion of geologists, environmental experts and locals before any development project is undertaken there.

Havoc in the Hills: Overtourism and under-planning

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," the bench 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.

"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 judges said, "We expect the state to file an appropriate reply explaining whether they have any action plan to meet with the issues we have discussed."

The matter has been posted for hearing on 25 August.

Saving the environment from ‘development’