Bald hills bode ill for states

In an encouraging move, the Supreme Court has taken cognisance of shocking levels of deforestation in the Himalayan states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, besides Jammu, Kashmir and Punjab, and called for action by the states and Union govts.

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A bench led by Chief Justice Gavai echoed the concern of the entire country at the sight of a staggering number of logs floating down swollen rivers like the Ravi and issued notices to the National Highways Authority of India and others. It is no secret that furious road construction and dam building in montane states has rendered them greatly vulnerable to disaster, their losses aggravated by frequent extreme weather events.