Himachal govt holds 14-dept emergency meeting in Shimla after Supreme Court’s ‘could vanish from country’s map’ warning

TNR News Network
Shimla: The Supreme Court’s strong warning over the environmental crisis unfolding in Himachal Pradesh and that the state could “vanish from the country’s map if corrective steps aren’t taken soon” has jolted the state administration into action, with Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena calling an emergency meeting of 14 key departments to formulate a response.

The top court highlighted the worsening impact of climate change and unchecked development on the fragile Himalayan ecosystem, noting that natural disasters in the region were no longer occasional but these were accelerating.

Revenue can’t come at the cost of nature, says SC

In a hearing on the Pristine Hotel & Resorts Pvt Ltd vs. State of Himachal Pradesh case, a bench of Justice GV Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan turned the proceedings into a public interest litigation, citing serious concern over the increasing frequency of landslides, flashfloods and ecological instability in the state.

“We want to make it clear to the state and the Centre that revenue generation cannot come at the cost of environment and ecology. If this continues, the day is not far when the entire Himachal Pradesh may disappear from the map. God forbid, but we must act now,” the bench observed.

The Supreme Court has scheduled the next hearing on August 25 and asked the state to submit a detailed reply backed with steps being taken to prevent further environmental damage.

Govt holds high-level meeting with 14 departments

In response, Chief Secretary Saxena convened a high-level meeting on Thursday (August 7, 2025) with senior officials from departments such as Urban Development, Revenue, Tourism, Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Disaster Management, Rural Development, NHAI and the Pollution Control Board.

The aim is to gather practical suggestions from each department on controlling the rising number of natural disasters in the state, recommendations that will help shape the government’s response to the Supreme Court.

Top court blames humans for recurring disasters

The top court strongly remarked that the environmental imbalance in Himachal is man-made, and that any development activity must begin only after consulting geologists, environmental experts and local communities. It also reminded the central government of its responsibility to monitor ecologically sensitive zones like Himachal.

The registry has been directed to register the matter as a writ petition in public interest, marking a significant shift in how such cases will be handled going forward.