Taking note of the unprecedented landslides and floods in states such as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the Supreme Court sought responses from the Centre, NDMA and others and said illegal felling of trees led to the disasters.
A bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran also issued notices to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the National Highway Authorities of India (NHAI) as well as the governments of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.
It was responding to a plea alleging illegal felling of trees as a key reason for such disasters.
The bench listed the plea filed by an Anamika Rana for hearing after two weeks and asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to ensure remedial measures.
“We have seen unprecedented landslides and floods in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. From the media reports it is noticed that in the flood a huge number of wood was flowing along. Prima facie it appears that there has been illegal felling of trees. Thus issue notice to respondents. Returnable in two weeks,” the CJI said.
In Himachal Pradesh, rain fury continued as four more bodies were retrieved from the debris of a landslide near Sundernagar in Mandi district, taking the toll to seven.
Two people, including an NDRF jawan, were feared dead after two houses collapsed in Kullu district, while two women died and 15 passengers were injured after rolling boulders fell on a private bus near Kalimitti in the Kumarsein area of Shimla.
Authorities in the state have ordered closure of all schools and colleges till September 7 as a precaution and the state’s police chief, Ashok Tewari, has instructed all police units to step up preparedness for rescue, relief and traffic management.
