The Supreme Court of India has issued notices to Himachal Pradesh , Punjab and Uttrakhand state governments and Jammu and Kashmir (UT), over reports of illegal wooden logs floating in several rivers during the recent flash floods in the Himalayan region.
While hearing a PIL on Thursday, Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod said, “We have seen unprecedented landslides and floods in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, from the media reports, it is also noticed in the flood, a huge numbers of logs flowing in flood waters indicate that illegal felling of the ecologically sensitive Himalayan forests was going on amidst the chaos and deaths caused by repeated natural disasters”.
The Chief Justice said, “ It is a very serious matter and requested Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to ask the Union Environment Secretary to talk to chief secretaries of the states concerned to find out the truth”.
The court has also issued notices to concerned ministries of the Central government and National Highway Authority of India.
The Solictor General Tushar Mehta said, ” he would speak with the Environment Secretary on the same day. The Secretary would get in touch with the Chief Secretaries of these States”.
The Apex court had expressed its serious concern about devastation in Himachal Pradesh from natural disasters some time back and had commented, “Himachal may eclipse from the map of India if steps were not taken to check the environmental degradation.”
