The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre and the state governments of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir over a petition concerning the devastating floods and heavy rains that have wreaked havoc in these regions. Expressing deep concern, the court highlighted that the situation appears extremely serious. Referring to videos that showed large numbers of timber logs being swept down by floodwaters in Himachal Pradesh, the bench pointed out that illegal felling of trees in the hills could be a major contributing factor. The top court also emphasised that such large-scale environmental damage cannot be ignored.Â
