Entire Himalayan range facing ecological crisis: Supreme Court
   Date :16-Sep-2025

Entire Himalayan range facing ecological crisis Supreme Court
 
NEW DELHI :
 
THE Supreme Court on Monday said the issue concerning ecology and environmental conditions was not going to be limited to Himachal Pradesh only as the entire Himalayan range, which was “very violent” this time, was facing it. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said it would pass its order on September 23 in the suo motu matter concerning issues relating to ecology and environmental conditions prevailing in Himachal Pradesh. “Ultimately, it is not going to be limited to Himachal only.
 
It is the entire Himalayan range that is facing this. This time around, it has been very very violent,” Justice Mehta observed. During the hearing, Himachal Pradesh’s advocate general and additional advocate general informed the bench about a report filed by the State in the matter. “We will give you a brief order after summarising everything so that you can get specific instructions,” the bench said. Senior advocate K Parmeshwar, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the matter, said the report filed by the State covered many aspects, including tree cover. “The report covers a number of aspects. It might not be possible to deal with all the aspects at one go.
 
They have covered from tree cover to mining aspect, glaciers etc.,” he said. Parmeshwar flagged that there were no specifics in the report. He said the State had contended in the report that there were some concerns with glacier reduction and glacier movement but those specifics were not there. “All that the report promises is to set up of a committee to look into these,” the amicus said, adding that the canvass was too broad. The State’s additional advocate general referred to a part of the report which said Himachal Pradesh was actively working on creation of a State-level glacier registry.
 
‘HP monsoon death toll rises to 404’
 
SHIMLA,
 
Sept 15 (ANI)
HIMACHAL Pradesh’s monsoon devastation has claimed 404 lives since June 20, with the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) confirming on Sunday that 229 deaths occurred in rain-related
incidents and 175 in road accidents.
 
According to the cumulative loss report issued by the SDMA, rain-induced fatalities were triggered by landslides, flash floods, drowning, electrocution, lightning, and house collapses. District-wise, Mandi reported 37 rain-related deaths, followed by Kangra (34), Kullu (31), Chamba (28), and Shimla (23), placing them among the worst-affected districts. Road accident deaths during the same period were also significant, with Mandi and Solan recording 24 each, Chamba 22, and Kangra 21. The authority noted that slippery conditions, blocked highways, and unstable slopes contributed to the spike in accidents during the ongoing monsoon spell. The SDMA further reported extensive losses to infrastructure and property across the hill State. The cumulative economic loss has been estimated at 4,48,905.58 lakh (4,489 crore). Public property accounted for the heaviest share of the damage, with key sectors such as roads, drinking water supply, power distribution, education, health, and rural development hit severely. Housing and agriculture have also borne severe damage.