The Supreme Court issued a dire warning on July 28, 2025, highlighting a severe ecological imbalance in Himachal Pradesh that could lead to the state “vanishing in thin air” if unchecked. Observing that climate change is wreaking havoc on the Himalayan state, a bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan cautioned that relentless development is pushing Himachal toward an environmental catastrophe, urging both the state and Union governments to prioritize ecology over revenue.

The court’s remarks came while dismissing a petition challenging a Himachal Pradesh High Court order upholding a June 2025 state notification designating certain areas as “green zones” to curb construction. “The situation has gone from bad to worse. If things continue this way, the entire state may disappear from the map,” the bench warned, emphasizing that human activities—not nature—are driving disasters like landslides, collapsing buildings, and road subsidence. Experts cite hydropower projects, four-lane highways, deforestation, and multi-storey constructions as primary culprits.

Himachal, nestled in the Himalayas with over 66% forest cover, is renowned for its natural beauty but faces growing threats from unchecked development. The bench criticized the state’s push for tourism and infrastructure, noting that four-lane roads, tunnels, and urban expansions, often bypassing environmental safeguards, have heightened vulnerability to climate-driven disasters. Rising temperatures, erratic snowfall, and frequent extreme weather events threaten livelihoods dependent on farming, horticulture, and eco-tourism.

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The court flagged the environmental toll of Himachal’s hydropower sector, dubbed the “power state” for its renewable energy potential. Large-scale dams and reservoirs disrupt ecosystems, while deforestation, forest fires, overgrazing, and urban sprawl exacerbate degradation. Uncontrolled tourism, a major revenue source, strains resources, with 4.08 crore visitors in 2024 overwhelming infrastructure, compared to the state’s 70 lakh population.

The bench urged consultation with geologists, environmentalists, and locals before approving projects and called for Himalayan states to pool expertise for sustainable development. It directed the Supreme Court registry to register a public interest litigation (PIL) to address these issues, ordering Himachal to submit an action plan by August 25, 2025, after notifying the Chief Justice of India. The Centre was also tasked with ensuring ecological balance to prevent further calamities.

Himachal’s recent disasters underscore the urgency. The 2023 floods caused 509 deaths and ₹12,000 crore in damages, while 2024 saw 143 major landslides. Despite a ₹4,500 crore World Bank resilience project, experts warn that policies favoring hydropower and tourism, like the 2023 tourism push for 5 crore visitors, risk long-term sustainability. The court’s intervention signals a critical moment for Himachal to recalibrate its development model to avert an ecological collapse.

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