New Delhi, Sept. 4 -- The Supreme Court today took serious note of the devastating landslides and floods across Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, observing that large-scale illegal tree felling in the upper reaches of the hills may have worsened the calamity.
A bench, comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai and Justice Vinod Chandran, referred to videos showing huge numbers of timber logs being washed down with floodwaters in Himachal Pradesh.
"Prima facie, it appears that there has been illegal felling of trees," CJI Gavai remarked.
The court issued notice to the Centre on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by environmentalist Anamika Rana, which seeks guidelines, an inquiry, and the formation o...