Kullu: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Himachal Pradesh chief secretary to ensure the appearance of the principal secretary, town and country planning, at the next hearing in a case concerning environmental damage linked to the state’s monsoon disaster.The court warned that if the official fails to attend the proceedings, the chief secretary will have to appear virtually.NGT chairperson Prakash Shrivastava issued the directions after the principal secretary failed to appear in the case virtually despite being directed to do so.The NGT noted that “no application had been filed explaining any difficulty in attending the proceedings”, while describing the absence as an apparent non-compliance with its order.The tribunal directed the chief secretary to ensure the official’s appearance at the next hearing, scheduled for Jan 22, 2027. A copy of the order has also been forwarded to the chief secretary for necessary compliance.The case dates back to December 2023, when the NGT took suo motu cognisance of environmental concerns linked to Himachal Pradesh’s devastating monsoon season during which river flooding and landslides had caused extensive damage.The NGT registered proceedings under Sections 14 and 15 of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, after reports attributed the disaster’s scale—which caused extensive damage to life and property across the state—to deforestation, unplanned construction and illegal mining along riverbeds.In its initial order on Dec 20, 2023, the NGT noted that the state govt blamed the damage on heavy rainfall. It also observed that a report submitted on behalf of the state govt did not demonstrate effective steps to prevent illegal deforestation and mining.The NGT further recorded that, although units involved in illegal mining had been identified and their operations suspended, environmental compensation had not been imposed on the violators under the polluter-pays principle. It had also noted the absence of punitive or preventive action under the relevant environmental and pollution-control laws.The NGT impleaded the state govt through the chief secretary, the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board, the principal secretary (town and country planning), the principal secretary (forest and environment), and the director of industries as respondents.
