124-Year-Old Dalhousie school falls victim to Steep Hill Cutting; Himachal HC steps in
Shimla, Aug 20,
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of steep hill cutting near the historic Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, Dalhousie, established in 1901, after reports emerged of structural damage to staff quarters.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Ranjan Sharma, in a one-page order dated August 19, 2025, directed the State Government to take proactive steps against the defaulter if the allegations are found true.
The court observed that reckless vertical cutting of hills has endangered the school’s premises, leading to collapse of residential quarters, while the district administration failed to redress the matter.
Issuing notice to the State on the representation submitted by the school authorities, the bench asked respondents to file a status report by August 26, 2025. Additional Advocate General Pranay Pratap Singh appeared for the State and waived formal service of notice.
The order comes at a time when Himachal Pradesh is grappling with a natural deluge and a spurt in landslides, raising questions over the unchecked construction practices across the hilly terrain.
The court emphasized that violations of hill-cutting norms pose a grave threat not just to heritage institutions but also to lives and property.
As per the Shimla Development Plan, no builder is permitted to carry out construction or erect structures on slopes steeper than 45 degrees. Yet, along several stretches of National Highways and townships, construction companies continue to indulge in steep hill cutting in blatant violation of regulations.
The High Court’s intervention is being seen as a much-needed step towards curbing the relentless degradation of fragile mountain ecology.
Environmentalists and residents alike say the action against unchecked hill cutting is the need of the hour to prevent further disasters in the state.
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