State may vanish from Indian map: SC on ecological imbalance in Himachal Pradesh

New Delhi [India], August 2 (ANI): The Supreme Court has warned that the state of Himachal Pradesh may vanish from the Indian map due to severe ecological imbalance in the region.
A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan stated that revenue cannot be earned at the cost of the environment and that it's high time for the State authorities and the central government to take action in order to ensure that the ecological imbalance in the State does not get disturbed any further.
"We want to impress upon the State Government and the Union of India, respectively, 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 of date, then the day is not far when the entire State of HP may vanish in thin air from the map of the Country...All that we want to convey today is that it is high time that the State of HP pay attention to what we have observed and started taking necessary action at the earliest in the right direction... Of course, much damage has been caused, but there is a saying that "something is better than nothing," the Court noted on Thursday.
The top court stated that, as per experts and various reports, the major causes of ecological destruction in Himachal Pradesh are infrastructural developments such as hydropower projects, four-lane roads, deforestation, multi-story buildings, etc. The Court was of the view that it is important to seek the opinion of geologists, environmental experts and the local people before any development project is undertaken in the state.
The Court made these observations while dismissing a petition filed by a private company engaged in the hotel and resort business, which had sought to quash a June 6 order issued by the Himachal Pradesh government that obstructed the construction of its proposed resort. The said order had designated the Shri Tara Mata Hill region as a Green Area, meaning that construction activities in the area are subject to restrictions.
The petitioner company had moved the Supreme Court after its plea seeking the same remedy was rejected by the Himachal Pradesh High Court.
The Supreme Court acknowledged that declaring certain areas as green zones is a laudable step taken by the State government but expressed concern that the State's actions had come too late. It observed that environmental degradation in Himachal Pradesh has worsened over the years, leading to severe ecological imbalance and repeated natural disasters.
"The object of issuing such notifications declaring certain earmarked areas as green areas is definitely a laudable object but we are afraid to say that it is too late in the day for the State to issue such notifications and try to save the situation. The situation in the State of Himachal Pradesh has gone from bad to worse... This year also hundreds of people perished in the floods and landslides & thousands of properties got destroyed. The nature definitely is annoyed with the activities which are going on in the State of HP," the apex court said in its order.
The Court noted that despite the state's laws regulating mining and quarrying, illegal or poorly regulated activities still occur, particularly near roads and riverbeds. Mining of stone, sand, and gravel causes soil instability, increases the risk of erosion, and can weaken nearby roads and buildings, it added.
"Unregulated mining also affects local ecosystems and pollutes water sources. Because of the noise, dust, and environmental damage that these activities create, local populations have demonstrated against them in several places. Addressing this issue in a sustainable manner requires both offering alternate sources of income and stepping up the enforcement of environmental regulations," the Court said further.
After having raised the aforesaid concerns, the Court issued notice to the Himachal Pradesh government seeking its explanation on whether they have any action plan to meet with the issues discussed by the Court and what it plans to do in the future.
It said, "we call upon the State of Himachal Pradesh to file its response to what has fallen from us, more particularly the issues that we have discussed in the preceding parts of this order. Issue notice to the State for this limited purpose, returnable within 4 weeks. By the next date, we want an appropriate report from the State."
The apex court posted the matter for the next hearing on August 25, this year. (ANI)