Himachal may vanish into thin air if tourist inflows unchecked: SC

Time of India

12 hours ago

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New Delhi: Reminding Centre and the states that earning revenue should not be prioritised over the ecology and environment, Supreme Court has expressed deep concern over uncontrolled constructions and inflow of tourists in Himachal Pradesh, saying the day is not far when the Himalayan state may vanish from the map of the country if remedial action is not taken on time.
A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadev said that in recent years, the state witnessed many natural disasters, and it is humans, not nature, who are responsible for floods, continuous landsliding of mountains and soil, collapsing of houses and buildings, and road subsidence in which hundreds of people perished. These disasters are man-made and it is not right to blame nature for it, the court said.
It appealed to Centre and the state government to intervene and stem the rot on an urgent basis.
Revenue can't be earned at cost of environment: SC
SC said, 'Nature has given abundant beauty to the state of HP... Taking advantage of this natural beauty, the government started constructing four-lane roads to promote it as a tourist destination. To build these roads, heavy machinery and explosives materials were used according to various reports to cut the mountains, due to which the natural balance of the place has started to deteriorate.'
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'We want to impress upon state government and Union of India that earning revenue is not everything. Revenue cannot be earned at the cost of the environment and ecology. If things proceed the way they are as on date, then the day is not far when the entire state of HP may vanish into thin air from the map...,' it said.
'The pace of infrastructure development in Himachal has intensified in recent years, driven by the twin goals of connectivity and tourism...
In many cases, hill slopes are cut steeply, unscientifically, without adequate stabilisation measures, and natural watercourses are obstructed or diverted. This not only alters the local hydrology but also makes the terrain more vulnerable to landslides and flash floods.
'The 2023 and 2025 monsoon season, for example, saw widespread devastation in the Kullu, Mandi, Shimla and Chamba districts, partly attributed to such unscientific construction. Despite having been an environmentally rich state, its own people are today responsible for such blind pursuit of development, to their own detriment,' the court said.