Himachal Pradesh High Court Halts Use of Anti-Hail Guns in Shimla Apple Belt for One Year
SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Monday ordered an immediate halt to the operation of anti-hail guns in Shimla district for at least one year, observing that their use appears to push storm clouds into neighbouring areas and trigger excessive downpours and hail elsewhere.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin C. Negi passed the directions while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the deployment of anti-hail guns installed at Deorighat and Bareonghat villages in the Jubbal and Kotkhai apple belt.
The court directed the state government to ensure that the two state-installed guns cease operation until further orders. It also instructed authorities to issue clear directives preventing private individuals and orchardists from operating similar systems across the region.
The bench took note of an affidavit submitted by the Director of Horticulture, which revealed that heavy rainfall coincided with periods when the hail control system operated for over an hour
. The judges observed that these findings prima facie substantiate complaints from neighbouring growers that dispersing hail clouds in one zone displaces severe weather into adjacent orchards at their expense.
According to the state's reply, Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry in Nauni, Solan, has been conducting a study on the efficacy and environmental impact of the guns—an assessment expected to take at least four more years to reach definitive conclusions. Consequently, the High Court impleaded the university as a party to the PIL and issued formal notice seeking its input.
The bench also directed the state to submit a comprehensive response detailing whether adjacent localities benefit during the shutdown period.
The government must also address international findings cited in the petitioner's representation, which point to adverse agricultural and weather impacts linked to anti-hail systems in countries such as Mexico and Romania.
The matter has been listed for its next hearing on December 8, 2026.
