The Supreme Court on Monday said it will appoint an amicus curiae to assist in a matter it has taken up on its own regarding the worsening ecological situation in Himachal Pradesh.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta listed the case for hearing in four weeks after the state’s Advocate General informed that a report had been filed on August 23.
The move follows a July 28 observation by another bench—Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan—that warned the hill state could “vanish in thin air” if urgent measures were not taken.
Previous Court Verdicts
The earlier bench had refused to interfere with a High Court order upholding the state’s June 2025 notification declaring some zones as green areas to restrict construction.
The court noted that climate change, deforestation, hydropower projects, road expansion and unregulated tourism were putting severe stress on the region.
It stressed the need for expert and community consultation before approving development work and asked the Centre and state to outline long-term action plans to prevent further environmental damage.
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