We’re Not Authorised’: Supreme Court Vacation Bench Declines Urgent Hearing of Plea Against Felling of 875 Trees in Himachal Pradesh
In a move that has stirred environmental concerns, the Supreme Court’s vacation bench on June 3, 2025, declined to urgently hear a plea seeking a stay on the felling of 875 trees in Himachal Pradesh for a road-widening project. The bench, comprising Justices JK Maheshwari and KV Viswanathan, expressed helplessness, stating: "We are not authorised to hear this. Please approach the appropriate bench." The fact: What’s at Stake? The case revolves around the widening of the road from PWD Rest House, Bhont, to the famous Tara Devi temple in Shimla. As part of the project, the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department has reportedly given clearance to axe 875 trees , many of which are decades old and vital to the hill state's fragile ecosystem. An environmental activist had rushed to the Supreme Court, filing a petition to stop the imminent deforestation, arguing that the state was ignoring long-term ecological consequences for short-term infrastructure gains. The ac...