Overview

• A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta reserved orders and will issue directions on September 23 in the suo motu case on Himachal Pradesh's environmental conditions.
• The court said the problem extends beyond Himachal to the entire Himalayan range, which it described as unusually violent this season.
• Himachal's report notes glacier counts are stable but total glacier area has declined, and records 434 extreme-weather incidents since 2018 with 123 deaths.
• The state contends hydropower projects are not the primary cause of recent destruction and says highway works followed due diligence, while it works on a glacier registry.
• Amicus curiae K. Parmeshwar told the court the 165-page filing lacked specifics and largely proposed a committee, prompting the bench to seek clearer, time-bound instructions.