SC Raps Himachal, Says State May Vanish from the Map if Ecological Destruction Continues
August 1, 2025
New Delhi/Shimla: The Supreme Court on Monday delivered a scathing indictment of the Himachal Pradesh government’s handling of environmental issues, warning that if reckless development continues, “the entire State may vanish in thin air from the map of the country.”
The warning came while dismissing a petition filed by M/s Pristine Hotels and Resorts Pvt. Ltd., which had challenged the Himachal government’s June 6 notification declaring Shri Tara Mata Hill near Shoghi in Shimla as a “Green Area,” thereby restricting new private constructions.
While refusing to interfere in the case, a bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan turned the spotlight on what it termed the “ecological collapse” in Himachal Pradesh and ordered the registration of a suo motu PIL to monitor the environmental situation in the State.
> “Nature is definitely annoyed with the activities going on in Himachal. Humans, not nature, are responsible for landslides, road collapses, building cave-ins, and widespread destruction,” the court observed.
The Court said the State had “failed to pay attention” to repeated warnings and pointed out how unregulated hydroelectric projects, four-lane highways, unscientific slope cutting, rampant deforestation, and illegal mining have left the fragile Himalayan ecosystem on the brink.
"Too Late in the Day": SC Calls Out Himachal’s Delay in Green Notifications
The bench questioned the State’s intent behind declaring green areas at this late stage.
“It is too late in the day to issue such notifications and try to save the situation,” the court said, adding that hundreds of lives have been lost and thousands of homes destroyed in recent years due to ecological negligence.
> “Tourism cannot come at the cost of nature,” the court remarked, lamenting the unchecked expansion of hotels and resorts, particularly on unstable hill slopes, often without proper environmental clearance.
Slams Illegal Mining, Faulty Hydropower Development
Not sparing the Centre either, the court called upon the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to step in and ensure the ecological imbalance is addressed. Referring to the hydro projects across Beas, Sutlej, Chenab, and Ravi, the court noted that “the mighty Sutlej stands reduced to a rivulet.”
“Blasting for tunnels destabilises slopes… project proponents are not maintaining minimum outflows, leading to the vanishing of aquatic life,” the order noted.
The court cited the alarming retreat of glaciers like Bara Shigri, warning of heightened risk from Glacial Lake Outburst Floods and climate-induced disruptions in rainfall, snowfall, and agriculture.
Court Orders State to File Report, PIL Registered
The Court directed the Himachal Pradesh government to submit a comprehensive reply within four weeks detailing its action plan to tackle climate vulnerability, illegal construction, forest degradation, and unregulated tourism.
It also ordered the Registry to forward a copy of the order to the State Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary of the Union Ministry of Environment. The matter has been listed for further hearing on August 25, 2025.
Pristine Hotels’ Petition Dismissed
Pristine Hotels had sought to quash the June 6 notification citing violation of the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Act, 1977.
The High Court had earlier dismissed the plea, holding that the company had not acquired any valid rights to the land and thus was not an "aggrieved party."
The Supreme Court upheld this reasoning but used the opportunity to issue a landmark warning about Himachal's future.
> “Revenue cannot be earned at the cost of environment and ecology,” the court said in its parting note. “If things proceed as they are, the day is not far when the entire State of HP may vanish in thin air.”
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