SC pulls up states over deforestation-linked floods
The Supreme Court has called out the central government and four northern states—Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Punjab—after severe floods caused major damage recently.
The disaster is being linked to illegal tree cutting, with reports of wood floating in floodwaters raising serious concerns about deforestation's role.
Floods wreak havoc in Punjab, J&K
Floods triggered by heavy rain have led to landslides, school closures, and even a halt to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir.
Punjab has been especially hard-hit: over 1,600 villages are affected, crops across huge areas are damaged, and at least 37 people have lost their lives.
The state has set up relief camps and started evacuations as rivers keep rising.
The Supreme Court will hear the case in two weeks to push for faster action on environmental protection.