The Supreme Court on Monday said it will deliver its order on September 23 in a suo motu case concerning ecological and environmental challenges facing Himachal Pradesh.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta told the lawyers representing the state that a short order would be issued after summarising the submissions so that the state could seek specific instructions.
During the proceedings, Himachal Pradesh’s Advocate General and Additional Advocate General informed the court that the state had filed a detailed report in compliance with earlier directions.
Senior advocate K Parmeshwar, appearing as amicus curiae, noted that the report addressed several aspects, including matters related to tree cover and other environmental concerns.
The matter has drawn sharp observations from the apex court in the past. On July 28, a different bench had cautioned that if corrective steps were not taken, Himachal Pradesh might “vanish in thin air,” while underlining that climate change was already having a visible and alarming impact on the hill state.
The court’s upcoming order is expected to provide further direction on safeguarding the fragile ecology of the region.