Capacity of Himalayan Region: SC Grants Centre 4 Weeks to Respond

The Supreme Court on Monday granted the Central government an additional four weeks to submit its response to a plea that calls for an assessment of the carrying capacity and master plans of the Indian Himalayan Region, which encompasses 13 states and union territories.

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha, who had issued notices to the government on February 17, acknowledged the request for more time made by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati to file the reply.

The plea, filed by Ashok Kumar Raghav seeks an evaluation of the carrying capacity and master plans prepared for the Indian Himalayan Region.

”Due to non-existent Carrying/Bearing Capacity studies, grave geological hazards in the form of landslides, land subsidence, land cracking and sinking issues such as that in Joshimath are being witnessed and serious ecological and environmental depredation are taking place in the hills,” the petition filed through advocate Akash Vashishtha stated.

”Almost all hill stations, pilgrimage places and other tourism destinations spread over the Dhauladhar Circuit, Satluj Circuit, Beas Circuit and Tribal Circuit in Himachal Pradesh also remain hugely burdened and are almost on the brink of collapse with no carrying capacities assessed for any of the places in the state,” the petition further pointed out.

Carrying capacity refers to the maximum population size that an ecosystem can support without causing significant harm or degradation to the ecosystem. It is a concept used to assess the sustainability and resilience of an ecosystem in relation to the resources available and the environmental conditions.