SC Flags Concern Over Illegal Tree Felling in Himalayas

SRINAGAR: The Supreme Court on Thursday raised concern over reports of timber logs floating in floodwaters across Himachal Pradesh, observing that illegal tree felling appeared rampant in the Himalayan region.

The Apex Court has issued notices not only to Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand but also to the Jammu and Kashmir government, underlining that fragile mountain ecosystems across the northern belt are under severe strain.

A bench of Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran was hearing a Public Interest Litigation on environmental degradation in the Himalayas. The judges said that the scale of landslides and floods being reported in recent weeks had exposed the vulnerability in hilly states.

“In the flood, huge number of wooden logs were flowing around. Prima facie, it appears that illegal felling of trees has been going on up hills,” the bench said.

“The inclusion of Jammu and Kashmir in the notice reflects the court’s concern that the problem is not confined to Himachal alone. JK has also witnessed a sharp increase in deforestation in recent years, particularly in areas of north Kashmir and the Pir Panjal range, where timber smuggling has repeatedly been flagged by local communities and activists,” an environmentalist said, while welcoming the court’s move.

With the Union Territory also facing recurring flash floods and mudslides, the court’s intervention could push for tighter scrutiny of forest protection measures, he said.

The bench directed notices to the Centre through the Ministries of Environment and Jal Shakti, the National Disaster Management Authority, the National Highways Authority of India, as well as the governments of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir.

Chief Justice Gavai, addressing Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that “It is a serious issue. In the media we have seen a large number of wooden logs flowing in Himachal, Uttarakhand. Illegal tree felling is going on.”

The Solicitor General assured the bench that he would ask the Environment Ministry to coordinate with state administrations immediately.

The counsel for the petitioner also highlighted risks from infrastructure projects in the Himalayan belt, citing tunnels on the Chandigarh–Manali route that turn into “death traps” during landslides.

He referred to an incident where about 300 people were stranded inside one such tunnel—(KNO)