SC says Himalayan region facing "serious existential crisis"; poses questions to HP govt

Raising concerns about the ecological imbalance in the states in the Himalayan region, the Supreme Court has said that the region "is facing a serious existential crisis", and posed a series of questions to the Himachal Pradesh government.

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A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta observed that scores of people have perished in floods and landslides, and thousands of properties have been destroyed."This monsoon season has seen unprecedented rain, causing havoc in the fragile ecosystem of Himachal Pradesh. The deluge which has struck in various areas has caused widespread damage to life and property. A large number of homes/permanent structures/temporary buildings have been washed away under the destructive l