In an unprecedented and sharply appointed intervention, the Supreme Court of India has raised alarm bells over the Himachal’s Ecological Collapse , indicating the state will “eventually lead to Himachal Pradesh being removed entirely from the map of India. The day is not far when the entire state of HP may disappear in thin air.” Of course, the implications of the statement, so made by the apex court’s bench, should be of relevance for lawyers, environment and policy venues as it shook up all of the parties involved.
The bench’s comments arose in connection with a petition the court heard on July 28th, 2025, relating to Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan dismissing a petition against the notification put out by the Himachal Pradesh government, to declare certain zones as green areas to stop construction. Rather than being constrained by the petition before it only, the bench did not rule on the merits of the petition; but instead issued a very powerful and comprehensive statement regarding environmental issues facing the Himalayan region of the state.
The Cost of Ecology for the Purpose of Earning Revenue
The remarks of the Court were a strong reprimand of both the Himachal Pradesh government and the Centre to rethink their priorities for development. “Earning revenue is not everything. Revenue cannot be earned at the cost of environment and ecology,” the bench said, and stated how the prevailing trajectory of the economy in the state is at complete variance with sustainable development.
The viewpoint of the judiciary marks a return to the constitutional balance between the Directive Principles of State Policy (e.g. Article 48A) and Fundamental Rights, particularly Article 21—the right to life—which has been judicially interpreted to include the right to a clean and healthy environment.
Humans, Not Nature – Who is to Blame
While declining to accept climate change as the only culprit, the Supreme Court firmly stated that human actions are responsible—along with nature—for disastrous landslides, soil erosion, roads collapsing, and buildings failing.
The list of factors is long and chilling:
- Unfettered construction of hydro power projects and multi-lane highways
- Deforestation and hill-cutting
- Unplanned urban sprawl
- Tunnel boring through the fragile strata of mountains
- Unplanned tourism infrastructure
Tourism, Dams, and a Sensitive Ecosystem
Himachal Pradesh is an economic slave to tourism and the hydro power industry, a widely accepted fact. The Court found that the ecological price tag for both of these industries has become untenable.
“Although many consider hydroelectricity a clean energy option, the Court noted that large-scale dam construction, reservoirs, and tunnels can carry a significant environmental price tag.”
Tourism, too, while an important economic engine, had now begun to exhaust the state’s infrastructure and ecological capacity. The court reiterated the need to support sustainable tourism practices and the development of further regulatory oversight of construction permits in the environmentally fragile parts of the state.
A Roadmap for Himalayan State
In a progressive move, the Court did not limit its recommendations to Himachal Pradesh. It finally demanded collective action by all Himalayan states, which it suggested should form an integrated plan which was mindful of the unique geological and climate vulnerabilities of the Himalayan ecosystem.
The bench called for:
- Incorporation of scientists and geologists
- Community consultation
- Green building codes
- Regulation of tourist and vehicle volumes
This integrated planning would be an example of how precautionary principle, a cornerstone of Indian environmental jurisprudence, would prevail.
Legal Status and Next Steps
“The Supreme Court has, on its own initiative, converted the matter into a Public Interest Writ Petition and directed the Himachal Pradesh government to submit a detailed action plan. The Court also asked the state government to file a detailed affidavit stating whether it has a crisis response action plan and outlining the pre-emptive actions it plans to take going forward.”
“The Court has listed the matter for hearing on August 25, 2025.”
Conclusion: An Ecological Wake-Up Call
This action by the Supreme Court is more than just a judge concerned about environmental health – it’s a wake-up call to understand that the ecological health of our mountain states are not reversible. When a constitutional court, in its duty to safeguard its citizens, notes that a state could “disappear in thin air,” it is not mere metaphor or hyperbole – it is a legal and moral alarm bell that should compel rapid systemic change.
The Himachal Pradesh government and Central governments now face a fork in the road. They can heed the advice of the Court, which is to change the focus of development away from unsustainable focuses and embrace sustainable development, or they can continue a course that may result in significant and irreversible loss for both nature and people.
As citizens, law students, and future decision-makers, we must ask ourselves: are we adequately doing what we can to avoid making our development a death sentence for nature?