Himachal Pradesh has informed the Supreme Court that the precious Himalayan trees seen floating down the Ravi and Beas rivers after recent floods are not the result of illegal logging, but rather natural driftwood dislodged by the unpredictable forces of global climate change.
This assurance comes in response to the Supreme Court’s alarm over numerous videos circulating online, showing vast quantities of logs carried by the surging river waters following severe flash floods and landslides that devastated Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab.
Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai had previously expressed deep concern during a hearing on a petition filed by Anamika Rana, represented by advocate Akash Vashishtha. He emphatically stated, “If this continues, we will lose all our forests… While development is essential, it must not come at the expense of our environment and human lives.” The court had specifically directed the affected states to investigate any potential illicit logging activities occurring amid the widespread natural calamities.
In its reply to the court’s queries, Himachal Pradesh stated that two committees were formed to conduct on-site inspections. These investigations found no “explicit evidence” of widespread or organized illegal tree-felling, contradicting earlier social media reports. The state government asserted that these media accounts were factually incorrect.
According to the state, the logs found along the banks of both rivers consisted solely of “naturally fallen or decayed trees and salvage debris.”
The submission further highlighted that “most logs exhibited clear signs of natural breakage and irregular shapes, indicative of damage from rocks and powerful river currents. Many were even discovered with their roots and stumps still attached.” This assessment, the state added, was corroborated by testimonies from local communities, panchayat representatives, and supporting photographic and video evidence.
However, the state did include a caveat, acknowledging that “stray and isolated instances of illegal felling in the region cannot be entirely ruled out.” It quickly followed this by emphasizing that the State forest department remains highly vigilant and takes “immediate legal action against any violators.”
The state characterized the presence of driftwood as evidence of a “complex multi-causal crisis,” attributing it to three intertwined factors: significant shifts in monsoon patterns leading to more intense and localized rainfall, the region’s geologically fragile ecosystem highly prone to landslides and erosion, and, to a certain degree, the accelerated pace of developmental projects.
Specifically concerning the Ravi River banks in the Chamba region, the state reported that 177 logs of diverse species were measured, numbered, and cataloged. Plans are already in motion to auction the collected driftwood, with the proceeds slated for deposit into the State exchequer. Addressing a complaint from the Chamba District Magistrate regarding “lost” timber, the state posited that these logs might be buried under landslide debris or remain trapped upstream in the river’s catchment areas.
Likewise, the state noted that the Beas River, flowing through the densely forested Kullu region—rich with deodar, pine, fir, and oak trees—also experienced sudden and intense rainfall. This led to soil saturation, destabilizing tree roots, while high-velocity floodwaters and flash floods triggered extensive soil erosion throughout the area.
Painting a stark picture, the state concluded by highlighting that “Himachal Pradesh is experiencing significant climatic changes, including rising temperatures, erratic snowfall patterns, and a heightened frequency of landslides, cloudbursts, and flash floods. The monsoon season of 2025 alone witnessed 320 fatalities. The state is grappling with severe impacts of global climate change, which poses a grave threat to its delicate ecology, critical infrastructure, and the livelihoods of its people.”