'Illegal Tree Felling On': Supreme Court Issues Notice To Centre, States Over Floods

The Supreme Court on Thursday raised serious concerns about illegal tree felling in the Himalayan region. The top court referred to the viral videos of timber logs floating in floodwaters in Himachal Pradesh. A bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran said the matter was alarming, pointing out that recent floods and landslides in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab showed clear signs of large-scale environmental damage. The judges noted that wooden logs seen in floodwaters suggested rampant and illegal felling of trees in the hills, according to a report by Live Law.

Nature is sending a warning... excessive wood logs in the Ravi River indicate active wood mafia operations in Himachal Pradesh. Visuals from ravi river Chamba. twitter/7x3CH0EU1G

- Go Himachal (@GoHimachal_) August 29, 2025

What you are seeing is the Pandoh Dam (Mandi,HP) lake completely clogged with wood. The entire reservoir is stuffed. And for those blindly calling it natural wood brought by water just look at the scale. This much loose wood and full trees don't come down just by a single rain. twitter/hH6qkhFDrj

- Nikhil saini (@iNikhilsaini) June 26, 2025

The court issued notices to the Union government through the Ministries of Environment and Jal Shakti, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) as well as the state governments of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir.

Chief Justice Gavai told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the issue was 'serious', urging immediate action. The Solicitor General assured the court that he would ask the Environment Ministry to coordinate with the concerned state governments.

During the hearing, the petitioner's lawyer also warned that 14 tunnels between Chandigarh and Manali turn into 'death traps' during heavy rains and landslides, citing a report that 300 people were recently stranded in one such tunnel.

Rain and flood fury in North India

Himachal Pradesh has been battered by relentless rain over the past several days, causing landslides, falling trees, blocked highways, power cuts and widespread damage to public infrastructure. The impact has been felt across North India, including Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Haryana, where heavy rainfall has continued to disrupt daily life.

According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), the 2025 monsoon season has claimed 341 lives in Himachal Pradesh since June 20. This includes 182 deaths in rain-related incidents and 159 in road accidents. Officials estimate the cumulative damage at over Rs 3.52 lakh crore. Fatalities reported so far include 23 deaths in landslides, 9 in flash floods, 17 in cloudbursts, 33 in drowning cases, 14 in electrocution, 14 due to falls in steep terrain, and 40 from other weather-linked accidents.

Punjab is also facing its worst floods in nearly four decades. The disaster has claimed 37 lives and affected more than 3.5 lakh people across all 23 districts. Overflowing rivers, including the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi, along with swollen rivulets, have submerged hundreds of villages. Officials say the floods were triggered by heavy rainfall upstream in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, which has spilled into Punjab's low-lying areas.

(With inputs from agencies)

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