Logs in Himachal floodwaters – Supreme court steps in
New Delhi/Shimla, Sept 4,
The Supreme Court on Thursday raised alarm over large-scale illegal tree felling in Himalayan states, after visuals emerged of wooden logs drifting in swollen rivers during the recent floods in Himachal Pradesh.
A bench comprising Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran observed that the scale of timber floating downstream indicated the seriousness of the situation. “We have seen unprecedented landslides and floods in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. From media reports, it is also noticed that during the flood, a huge number of wooden logs were floating. Prima facie, it appears that illegal felling of trees has been going on in the hills,” the court remarked.
Also read:Dry Wooden logs surface in Kullu flash floods, stir environmental concerns
The matter was being heard in connection with a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by petitioner Anamika Rana. Notices have been issued to the Union Government, including the Ministries of Environment and Jal Shakti, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and the governments of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab.
Expressing sharp concern, CJI Gavai told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, “This is a serious issue. We have seen in media that a large number of wooden logs are flowing around. Illegal tree felling is going on.” The Solicitor General assured that he would immediately confer with the Environment Secretary and coordinate with the concerned states.
The petitioner’s counsel also drew the court’s attention to tunneling activity in fragile Himalayan zones, pointing out that fourteen tunnels between Chandigarh and Manali have become “death traps” during landslides, citing an incident in which nearly 300 people were reportedly trapped.
Also read:CID to probe ‘Pushpa film-style’ wood flow to Pandoh Dam after Kullu cloudburst
Back in Himachal, the matter has already gained urgency. Large piles of timber were spotted in Kullu, Thunag and Chamba after recent flash floods. The state government has ordered an inquiry into how a massive stock of logs appeared in floodwaters in Kullu. Local voices have long alleged that illicit timber extraction thrives under the cover of natural disasters, with such floods exposing the scale of the practice.
Environmentalists argue that unchecked deforestation, combined with aggressive road and tunnel construction, has weakened mountain slopes, amplifying the devastation of flash floods and landslides. The apex court’s intervention, they believe, could compel authorities to act with greater urgency against the nexus of timber mafia and administrative lapses that has repeatedly come under question in Himachal Pradesh.
The case is now expected to set the tone for stricter accountability mechanisms, especially as fragile Himalayan ecosystems continue to face the double burden of natural calamities and human-induced stress.
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