Supreme Court warns Govt, states as floods expose rampant tree felling

The Supreme Court on September 4 sounded a grim warning that unbridled exploitation of nature is coming back to haunt the nation, as unprecedented floods and landslides devastate large swathes of North India. Issuing notices to the Centre and four states, the court said illegal tree felling in the fragile Himalayan belt appears to be a key trigger compounding the disaster.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the crisis, a bench led by Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran flagged “open violations” of environmental safeguards. “Entire fields and villages in Punjab seem to have been wiped out by floods. Development and environmental protection must be balanced,” Chief Justice Gavai observed, calling the matter “very serious.”

The court cited reports of huge wooden logs floating down rivers in Himachal Pradesh as evidence of widespread deforestation. It directed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to seek instructions from the government and asked for a detailed response within three weeks.

“Unfortunately, we have played with nature too much... now it is hitting back,” Mehta admitted during the hearing.

Monsoon fury leaves trail of destruction

The regions under judicial notice — Punjab, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir — are battling one of the fiercest monsoon seasons in decades:

• Himachal Pradesh: The state has witnessed its wettest August since 1949. Torrential downpours triggered landslides and land subsidence that flattened homes, destroyed infrastructure, and killed over 340 people, with many still missing.
• Uttarakhand: Flash floods and landslides have swept through the state, with the Ganga, Alaknanda, and Mandakini rivers raging at or above danger levels. At least 80 lives have been lost so far.
• Jammu & Kashmir: Cloudbursts and flash floods in Ramban and Reasi have killed scores and repeatedly cut off key transport routes. The Vaishno Devi pilgrimage has been suspended multiple times due to landslides.
• Punjab: Declared a state disaster, the floods have submerged 1,400 villages, affected 3.5 lakh people, and inundated 3.7 lakh acres of farmland — crippling the agrarian economy in its worst flooding in nearly four decades.
• Delhi: The capital is battling severe waterlogging after the Yamuna breached danger levels. Thousands have been displaced as low-lying areas remain under water following releases from Haryana’s Hathnikund barrage.

The Supreme Court’s intervention comes as scientists and experts warn that reckless development, rampant deforestation, and poor urban planning are turning climate shocks into full-blown disasters.