In a significant move on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, the Supreme Court issued an interim order, compelling the Himachal Pradesh state government and its forest department to provide exhaustive answers to critical questions. These inquiries concern the alarming surge in devastating landslides and flash floods that are wreaking havoc on the region’s delicate Himalayan ecosystem.
Details of the *suo motu* court proceedings, specifically the questions posed by the bench, have yet to be publicly disclosed, with the official record currently consisting of a single, brief paragraph.
According to the concise record published on the Supreme Court’s website, the Himachal Pradesh government has been explicitly ordered to submit an affidavit, signed by the Principal Secretary of the Department of Forest, addressing these queries by the upcoming hearing date. An advance copy of this response must also be provided to the *amicus curiae*. The next hearing for this pivotal case is scheduled for October 28.
During the open court session earlier in the day, Justice Vikram Nath, who presides over the bench handling this *suo motu* case, stated, “We have presented a series of questions to both the State government and the forest department, formulated based on the written submissions we have reviewed.”
The Court reiterated that all responses to its detailed questionnaire must be filed by October 28, 2025. It also assured that the full, detailed order would be made available online before the day’s close.
This *suo motu* case was initiated by the court on August 25, driven by profound concern over the widespread destruction witnessed across the state due to natural calamities. During the initial proceedings, a judge even made a stark observation, warning that Himachal Pradesh risked “vanishing into thin air” if urgent corrective actions were not implemented. The court had reserved its orders on September 15.