SHIMLA, JULY 29: Expressing concern over the continued threat posed by recurring debris flow in Kinnaur's Lippa village, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the district administration and the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) to immediately deploy two additional heavy machines, taking the total to four, to speed up debris removal and prevent further damage to vulnerable homes and infrastructure.
Hearing a public interest litigation on Tuesday, the Division Bench headed by Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia observed that despite repeated warnings by experts and earlier court directions, the authorities had failed to implement long-term mitigation measures before the onset of the monsoon. The court noted that photographs placed on record showed houses near the confluence of the streams and adjoining bridges had been "badly affected."
Deputy Commissioner Kinnaur Dr. Amit Kumar Sharma appeared before the court in person and submitted an affidavit stating that emergency restoration work had been carried out after the September 2025 debris-flow incident with coordinated efforts of the Jal Shakti Department, HPPWD, HPPCL, Revenue authorities and the Gram Panchayat. The affidavit detailed deployment of heavy machinery by HPPWD, HPPCL and the Jal Shakti Department to restore the free flow of the Taiti/Kirang Khad.
The court was informed that the Geological Survey of India (GSI) had concluded that while the streams were flowing freely for the time being, a permanent mechanism to tackle future debris accumulation remained an urgent necessity.
According to the affidavit, fresh debris flow struck the area on July 9-10, 2026, once again blocking the channel near the confluence and posing a serious threat to the bridge and nearby houses. Ten vulnerable households have since been identified, with arrangements made for continuous monitoring, early warning and temporary evacuation if required.
The Bench also took note of submissions by the Amicus Curiae that one of the machines deployed by HPPCL was not functioning at optimum capacity. More significantly, it observed that a GSI preliminary assessment report dated February 25, 2026 had recommended 12 mitigation measures before the monsoon, but these recommendations were not implemented despite ₹5 crore being available under the Local Area Development Fund. The court also noted that a proposal worth ₹18.67 crore has now been prepared for dredging, RCC and gabion protection works, river training and bank protection, with the Detailed Project Report (DPR) scheduled to be uploaded on the SDMF portal before August 21.
In view of the continuing threat, the High Court impleaded the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) as additional respondents and sought a fresh status report on the progress of mitigation works.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on August 31, 2026. The court said the Deputy Commissioner would be exempted from personal appearance if all four machines are deployed and work progresses satisfactorily.
