SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh High Court tore into the State government for turning a blind eye to reckless muck dumping in Chamba, warning that such negligence is a ticking time bomb in the fragile hill terrain.
The case began after contractors building the Motla–Sukhiar link road dumped debris into nallahs, above water tanks and forest land, choking water sources and heightening the risk of landslides.
What was brushed aside with a token fine soon snowballed into a legal battle that forced the government to impose penalties of over ₹20 lakh and spend ₹64 lakh on clearing the muck.
The bench of Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia and Justice Ranjan Sharma came down hard on the authorities.
They bluntly observed that “sliding muck and waste” is an imported hazard, not part of the terrain, with the power to bury villages downhill.
The court also lashed out at the Public Works Department for letting contractors off lightly while the State exchequer bled to clean up their mess.
After repeated court nudges, the contractors finally rebuilt the retaining walls and cleaned up the dumping sites.
The judges closed the PIL on August 25 but left behind a sharp warning — mark safe dumping zones before building roads, or be ready to face both ecological and human disasters.
The order is a red flag. Himachal, already battered by rain-triggered landslides, cannot afford more man-made blunders.
The court has fired the warning shot — now it’s up to the government to act.
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