‘Development, protection must be balanced’: Supreme Court’s notice to Centre, states over devastating floods

Taking suo motu cognisance of the devastating floods across North India, the Supreme Court criticised the government for unchecked felling of trees and the imbalance in developmental activities vis-a-vis environmental protection. This comes as states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir are reeling under the effects of severe flooding, which has led to widespread devastations of lives, livelihood and infrastructure.

A bench of Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran said, “We issue notice to the states of Punjab, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir. Prima facie, it appears that illegal felling of trees has taken place.”

Chief Justice Gavai called it a “very serious issue”. "Entire fields and villages in Punjab seem to have been wiped out by floods…Development and environmental protection need to be balanced," he said.

The apex court asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to seek instructions to address the issue. The government has been asked to respond to the notice within three weeks.

During the hearing, the Solicitor General remarked, “Unfortunately, we have played with nature too much. Now it is hitting back.”

The northern Indian states are reeling under the aftermath of an unusually intense and prolonged monsoon, which has led to widespread flooding and devastating landslides. This severe weather event has caused immense disruption across the region, with Himachal Pradesh experiencing the highest rainfall since 1949, leading to frequent landslides and land subsidence. The state has seen homes buried and infrastructure wrecked, resulting in over 340 fatalities, with many individuals still unaccounted for.

Punjab is facing its worst floods in almost four decades, officially declared a state disaster, as heavy rainfall combined with water released from upstream dams has inundated over 1,400 villages, crippling the state's agrarian economy and affecting more than 3.5 lakh residents.

In Jammu and Kashmir, the Jammu region has been severely hit by successive cloudbursts, triggering flash floods and landslides, particularly in the Ramban and Reasi districts. This has led to repeated closures of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, stranding thousands of vehicles, while the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage has been suspended multiple times due to landslides.

Meanwhile, Delhi is grappling with urban flooding as the Yamuna River has breached the danger mark, submerging low-lying areas and displacing thousands.

Uttarakhand has also been severely affected, with major rivers flowing at or above danger levels, causing flash floods and landslides, and resulting in over 80 fatalities.