Amid the ongoing monsoon mayhem in north Indian states and the consequent landslides and flooding, the Supreme Court on Thursday heard a petition and issued notices to the Central and state governments, the National Disaster Management Authority, among others, in connection with the matter.
Taking note of the unprecedented landslides and floods in various states, especially in North India, the apex court observed that there has been illegal felling of trees, which is leading to disasters like these in states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Punjab, and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
In its notice to the Centre, the top court asked the Solicitor General of India to respond and list remedial measures to tackle these disasters in the future. The court will now hear the petition in two weeks’ time.
During the hearing, the court expressed serious concern over the matter and pointed out that a large number of timber logs were washed down the hills by floodwaters in Himachal Pradesh, as was seen in videos from the state. This, the court observed, points towards illegal felling of trees there in huge numbers.
Landslides and floods, triggered by heavy rains and cloudbursts, have wreaked havoc in hill states and UT, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir. In Punjab, unprecedented floods have brought normal life to a standstill in most parts. Heavy rains have also caused mayhem in cities and states like Delhi, Gurugram, and Haryana.
Hundreds of people have lost their lives and thousands have been made homeless in disasters triggered by heavy rain and landslides. Thousands of others have also been rescued by various agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Indian Army and paramilitary forces.