Why SC panel wants curbs on tourism, tighter rules for roads, hydropower in Himachal

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (October 27) took up a matter concerning ecological and environmental issues in Himachal Pradesh. It accepted the first report of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which covers compensatory afforestation, tourism, roads and hydroelectric projects.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and Aparesh Kumar Singh granted the Himachal Pradesh government two weeks’ time to file its response to the CEC’s recommendations.

The CEC’s interim report on four of the nine thematic areas it is examining in the state identifies serious shortcomings in environmental protection and recommends measures to address them.

In view of recurring ecological degradation and environmental concerns confronting Himachal Pradesh, the Supreme Court initiated suo motu proceedings on July 28, 2025. The court noted that the issues involved “transcended isolated incidents” and called for a comprehensive examination of factors contributing to the deterioration of the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.

Nine thematic areas were identified for examination – zoning, forest and tree cover, compensatory afforestation, climate change, disaster management, road infrastructure, hydroelectric projects, mining and tourism.

In July 2026, the court directed the CEC to comprehensively examine these nine thematic areas and submit interim and final reports. The CEC, a statutory body since 2023, was originally formed in 2002 by an order of the Supreme Court. It advises the court on writ petitions related to environmental and forest matters and assists in monitoring compliance with the court’s orders.

What were the findings and recommendations?

A multidisciplinary team of experts, with technical assistance from the Forest Survey of India, was identified for an evidence-based examination of the nine thematic areas. The CEC’s examination involves an independent assessment of information furnished by the state government, site visits wherever possible, and an evaluation of existing regulatory measures.

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Here are its findings and key recommendations on compensatory afforestation, roads, tourism and hydroelectric projects.

Tourism

Himachal Pradesh has seen a rise in tourist arrivals, hotels and homestays over the last ten years, data compiled by the CEC shows, with domestic tourists, particularly those travelling for religious tourism, accounting for a high share. The panel recommended immediate carrying-capacity studies for major destinations and temporary restrictions if necessary. It also called for the publication of periodically updated, binding district-wise and destination-wise limits for visitors, vehicles and accommodation beds, based on scientific assessments, that would be binding.

Registered hotels rose by 90.8% between 2016 and 2026, from 2,784 to 5,311. Registered homestays rose by 669.7%, from 876 to 6,743, and now outnumber hotels. Combined, they grew by about 229%, from 3,660 to 12,054. The Tourism Department told the CEC that it has conducted no carrying-capacity studies for Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, Dalhousie, Solang, Kasol, Chandratal, Spiti or the Great Himalayan National Park.

The rise in tourism and rapid growth in infrastructure, the CEC noted, may be extending beyond traditional hill stations to ecologically fragile mountain areas. The panel called for destination-specific caps on visitor numbers, vehicles and infrastructure, backed by enforceable planning controls.

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It emphasised the need to assess and regulate tourism in accordance with the ecological and geological carrying capacity of each destination.

Compensatory afforestation

Compensatory afforestation is legally mandated once forest land is diverted for non-forestry purposes. The CEC found significant gaps between afforestation commitments and outcomes on the ground. It found that plantation survival assessments were either incomplete or pending.

The panel took into account a previous performance audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, which had examined afforestation efficacy and catchment area treatment plans for the period from 2006-07 to 2020-21.

Earlier audits revealed that compensatory afforestation plantations were often incomplete, delayed, or undertaken on unsuitable sites. In the period after the CAG audit (2020-21 to 2025-26), compensatory afforestation funds were underutilised. Against an approved Annual Plan of Operations (APO) of ₹1,110.81 crore, ₹865.10 crore was allocated and ₹592.69 crore spent.

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Of the approximately 34,169 ha targeted for plantation since 1981-82, about 30,462 ha were covered, a shortfall of 3,707 ha (10.85%). The survival rate of the 2020-21 plantations was only 51%. The panel called for pending afforestation work to be expedited and third-party plantation survival audits to be commissioned.

Roads

The roads sector was examined mainly for its ecological consequences in the Himalayan terrain. The CEC highlighted concerns about hill cutting, disposal of excavation debris, slope destabilisation and increased landslide risks associated with road construction. The CEC’s report describes the slope failures as “more of systemic engineering/regulatory failure rather than incidents beyond human control”.

In 2023, the state saw 113 landslides in 55 days during the early monsoon, with 111 deaths. NHAI approved ₹825 crore for restoration of the Kiratpur-Manali highway after 44 critical locations were identified. The report notes near-vertical cuts, non-compliance with Indian Roads Congress standards and muck dumping towards the Beas. Roads accounted for the second-largest share of diverted forest land, at 4,443 ha (25.3 per cent).

Crucially, the CEC has recommended that the Environment Ministry review the exemption from environmental clearances granted in 2013 to new hill road projects and expansion projects with two or more lanes. It proposed putting in place a clearance mechanism for such projects. It also recommended appointing an ombudsman in each state to examine complaints and compensation-related grievances arising from National Highways Authority of India projects.

Hydroelectric projects

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Hydel projects accounted for the largest share (31.9%) of forest land diverted across 5,598 hectares. The CEC observed that a high concentration of hydel projects creates cumulative ecological pressures. The report identified concerns relating to environmental flows, catchment degradation, muck disposal, tunnel construction, forest diversion and disaster risks.

A basin-wise inventory of hydroelectric projects in Himachal Pradesh identified 1,007 projects at various stages, with a combined installed capacity of 22,957 megawatts (MW), across the Sutlej, Beas, Chenab, Ravi and Yamuna rivers. Of these, 189 projects with a combined installed capacity of 12,588 MW had been commissioned, 53 with a capacity of 1,528 MW were under construction, 526 with a capacity of 7,539 MW were under clearance or investigation, and 239 were yet to be allotted.

The CEC has proposed the preparation of basin-wide disaster preparedness and mitigation plans, which will also address real-time threats from glacial lake outburst floods, cascading impacts and multi-hazard risks.