The Supreme Court warned that unchecked ecological damage in Himachal Pradesh could wipe the State off the map. It initiated a suo motu PIL and demanded urgent action from the State and Centre.
New Delhi: On August 1, the Supreme Court of India has expressed serious concern over the worsening environmental situation in Himachal Pradesh, warning that the unchecked ecological damage could eventually lead to the State disappearing from the country’s map.
This strong observation came from a Bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan while hearing the case. The case revolved around a petition filed by the hotel company challenging a notification issued in June 2025.
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This notification had declared the Shri Tara Mata Hill as a “green area”, thereby putting a stop to any new private construction on the site.
The Supreme Court not only upheld the notification but also backed the High Court’s earlier decision to reject the hotel company’s plea.
The Court went further by using its suo motu powers to convert the case into a public interest litigation (PIL), highlighting larger issues such as environmental destruction and climate vulnerability across Himachal Pradesh.
The Bench observed,
“If things proceed the way they are as on date, then the day is not far when the entire State of HP may vanish in thin air from the map of the country,”
The judges acknowledged that the intention behind the government’s notification to stop construction in sensitive ecological zones was good, but they warned that the move might have come too late to make a big difference.
The Bench said,
“The situation in the State of Himachal Pradesh has gone from bad to worse. The severe ecological imbalance and other environmental conditions have led to serious natural calamities over a period of years. 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 nature definitely is annoyed with the activities which are going on in the State of HP.”
However, the Court clarified that human negligence was to be blamed, not nature itself.
The Court stated,
“It is not right to blame only nature for the disaster in Himachal Pradesh. Humans, not nature, are responsible for phenomenon such as continuous land sliding of mountains and soil, landslides on roads, collapsing of houses and buildings, subsidence of road etc,”
The Bench strongly criticised unchecked human activities such as rapid construction, reckless road widening, large hydroelectric power projects, and uncontrolled deforestation as primary reasons for the current crisis.
The Court referred to expert findings, pointing to major projects like Bhakra and Nathpa Jhakri, located in the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi river basins, as major causes of instability—especially when they were developed without proper geological testing or detailed environmental impact assessments.
The Bench remarked,
“Apparently, the minimum outflow of water, as is contractually mandated, is not being adhered to by the project proponents, resulting in the vanishing of aquatic life. In fact, the mighty trans Himalayan river Sutlej stands reduced to a rivulet,”
“In fact, the mighty trans Himalayan river Sutlej stands reduced to a rivulet.”
The judges highlighted the growing threat of climate change in the region. They noted a sharp rise in temperature, fast-melting glaciers, and unpredictable weather as key factors worsening the crisis.
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The Bench noted,
“Unseasonal rainfall and prolonged dry spells affect agriculture and water availability. Erratic weather patterns also destabilise slopes and affect biodiversity,”
In addition to developmental projects, the Court also blamed unregulated tourism for the worsening situation.
The surge in both religious and eco-tourism has brought along with it issues like garbage accumulation, illegal building constructions, and massive damage to the environment in tourist hotspots like Rohtang and Kullu.
The Bench also criticised the failure of local authorities to manage solid waste, especially in hilly towns and trekking areas. It said that the fragile environment of the Himalayas cannot take such heavy loads for long.
It further pointed out that a lack of enforcement and absence of checkposts had allowed widespread illegal tree cutting, which worsens deforestation and increases the risk of landslides.
The Court warned,
“We want to impress upon the State Government and Union of India respectively that earning revenue is not everything. Revenue cannot be earned at the cost of environment and ecology,”
The Court also noted that the Advocate General of Himachal Pradesh, who was present in court, had admitted that the State had failed to pay serious attention to the concerns raised earlier by the Court.
The matter will be heard again on August 25.
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In this case, the petitioner company was represented by Senior Advocate PS Patwalia along with advocates Kushagra Goyal and Alok Tripathy.
The respondents, including the State of Himachal Pradesh, were represented by Advocate General Anup Rattan, Additional Advocate General Vaibhav Srivastava, Senior Advocate Navin Pahwa and Advocate Puneet Rajia.
Case Title:
M/s Pristine Hotels and Resorts Pvt. Ltd. vs. State of Himachal Pradesh & Anr
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