Rain havoc exposes Himachal’s weak environment policy

The recent devastation caused by heavy rains, flash floods and cloudbursts in Mandi district has cast serious doubts on the effectiveness of Himachal Pradesh’s environmental policies. Over 90 lives have been lost across the state in the past fortnight alone, with properties worth crores damaged or washed away. This fresh wave of destruction has reignited public outrage, with social organisations and environmental groups such as Himalaya Niti, Himalaya Bachao Abhiyan, People’s Voice and Environment Healers urging the state government to adopt stringent environmental laws and ensure their strict implementation.

Critics argue that proper enforcement of environmental regulations could help reduce the impact of natural disasters, which have grown alarmingly frequent in the state. However, despite repeated warnings and tragic precedents—including the August 2023 flash floods that claimed more than 100 lives—there appears to be little change on the ground. Government promises to regulate construction, curb vertical hill-cutting for road widening and ban building on riverbanks remain largely unfulfilled.

The root causes of this environmental crisis are clear: rampant deforestation, indiscriminate hill-cutting, illegal mining and unregulated urban expansion. In recent years, there has been a boom in the construction of highways, luxury resorts, hydroelectric projects and large-scale buildings, which have only worsened the already fragile ecological balance. The unchecked exploitation of nature has led to serious consequences—loss of biodiversity, poor forest health, soil erosion and water insecurity.

With the onset of the monsoon, anxiety looms large across hundreds of villages, where residents now live in fear of sudden flash floods and cloudbursts. Over the past decade, Himachal has witnessed more than 30 major cloudbursts and floods, causing damage worth over Rs 2,000 crore. The lush green slopes that once defined the state’s natural beauty now lie stripped and scarred, replaced by bare rocky landscapes and unstable hillsides.

Himachal Pradesh ranks among the top five disaster-prone states in the country, facing regular threats from earthquakes, landslides, floods, avalanches, and forest fires. Yet, building regulations continue to be flouted with impunity—even in seismic zone V.

Despite repeated orders from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Himachal Pradesh High Court, illegal construction on riverbeds and hill slopes goes on unchecked. Existing laws under the TCP Act, labour regulations and environmental safeguards are routinely violated while enforcement agencies look the other way, often acting only after court intervention.

The recent report by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar, reveals a grim statistic: over 45% of Himachal Pradesh is highly vulnerable to natural disasters like landslides, avalanches, and floods. This should serve as a final alarm bell for the government. The time for half-measures and delayed responses is over. What the state needs now is decisive, immediate action to safeguard its people—and the fragile Himalayan ecosystem they call home.