Timber logs in floodwaters: Green activists welcome SC intervention
Kullu-based activist Sandeep Minhas said the apex court’s intervention was timely but stressed that the issue should not be closed merely after the state’s response.
The visuals raised concerns of illegal timber felling in ecologically fragile regions. (PTI Photo)
With the Supreme Court Thursday taking serious note of videos showing a huge number of timber logs washed down by floodwaters in Himachal Pradesh, environmentalists and activists expressed hope that the state government will now be asked to bring a sustainable development policy suited to the topography of the hill state.
Noting “that in the flood, huge numbers of wooden logs were flowing around… Prima facie, it appears that there has been illegal felling of the trees, which has been going on uphill.,” a bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Vinod Chandran issued notices to the Centre, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEF&CC), Ministry of Jal Shakti, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab, besides the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
One of the videos, widely circulated on social media, showed large number of logs floating in the Pong Dam in Mandi. A second clip surfaced later from the Ravi River, near the Old Sheetla Suspension Bridge in Chamba, showing a similar accumulation of wooden debris. The visuals raised concerns of illegal timber felling in ecologically fragile regions.
Kullu-based activist Sandeep Minhas said the apex court’s intervention was timely but stressed that the issue should not be closed merely after the state’s response. “We expect the Supreme Court will not shut the matter just after reviewing the government’s version. The court should direct the state to bring a sustainable development policy suited to the topography and ecological needs of mountain states, instead of allowing haphazard projects in fragile zones,” Minhas said.
Earlier, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had ordered a CID probe into the accumulation of logs in Pong Dam after a preliminary inquiry by the state forest department on July 8 ruled out illegal felling in the Beas catchment area. The CID inquiry, however, is still pending. Similarly, after reports of logs floating in the Ravi River, the forest department again denied illegal felling.
Conservator of Forest, Kangra, Rakesh Kumar, said, “After the videos were shared on the social media, we were told to look into the matter. We verified the wood and logs floating into the water and also visited many areas affected with cloudbursts, landslides etc on the banks of river Ravi. We found no traces of illegal felling, sleepers etc. The logs that came floating down Old Sheetla Suspension Bridge are the uprooted trees and most of them have stumps and trunks intact suggesting these were not axed trees. We have submitted our report”.
Conservator of Forest Rakesh Kumar claimed that the wooden logs did not accumulate in the Ravi instantly. “There are two-three major dams at Chamela. The trees which were uprooted time to time due to the landslides and other events first assembled in these dams. As the water level increased and dams’ flood gates were opened, these logs floated downstream,” he said.
Story continues below this ad
In July, the Forest and Wildlife Department had ruled out any illegal felling and suggested that cloudbursts on June 25 over the Garsa Valley in the Parvati Forest Division and the Greater Himalayan National Park (GHNP) in Kullu district triggered extensive uprooting of trees.
A report prepared by the forest department following the probe further added that the uprooted trees, along with fallen dead wood, were swept nearly 27 km downstream by the gushing waters before eventually accumulating at the Pandoh Dam on River Beas in Mandi.
The fact finding probe was ordered by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Sameer Rastogi on June 28 following an uproar after videos and photos of the logs flushing down the river and floating in the Pandoh dam went viral.
Despite the forest department’s clarifications, environmentalists argue that the presence of such large volume of timber highlights gaps in forest monitoring and disaster preparedness.
Story continues below this ad
Meanwhile, interacting with media, Industry Minister Harshwardhan Chauhuan said the forest officials must go out in the field to check if there is any illegal felling of trees/ Asked about the Supreme Court’s remarks, he said, “IFS, DFOs should go to the forests to check what is going on there”.
Saurabh Parashar is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, primarily responsible for the publication’s coverage of Himachal Pradesh. He is a seasoned journalist with over 17 years of experience in print media, specializing in crime, legal affairs, and investigative reporting.
Professional Background
Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology (Hisar) and a Law degree from Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Shimla. This legal background significantly informs his reporting on complex judicial and administrative matters.
Career Path: Before joining The Indian Express in 2017, he spent 12 years with The Times of India.
Core Beats: His primary focus is the socio-political landscape of the hill state, with a specific emphasis on the environment, forest conservation, drug menace (specifically "Chitta"), affairs related to tribal and archaeology and the unique challenges of governance in high-altitude regions.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
His recent reporting highlights the critical intersection of policy, law, and social safety in Himachal Pradesh:
1. "Himachal’s battle against Chitta: Why the border areas are most vulnerable" (Late 2025): An investigative look at the transit routes from Punjab and the impact on local youth.
2. "Shimla ropeway clears key hurdle as 820 trees face the axe :According to the Forest Survey of India’s 2021 assessment, 47.21 percent of Shimla’s 5,131 sq km geographical area is under forest cover (Nov 17, 2025).
3. "Himachal to handover 2.7427 ha of non-forest land for Shimla Ropeway: Given the land’s non-forest nature, RTDC and the state will not require permission from MoEFCC" (Nov 18, 2025)
4. "How the centuries-old Jodidara tradition is fading in Himachal’s Trans-Giri region: Jodidara: a form of fraternal polyandry—has long been part of Hatti tribal culture in the Trans-Giri region of Himachal Pradesh and adjoining Uttarakhand. It is believed to have evolved to prevent division of ancestral land and maintain unity among brothers in the harsh, mountainous terrain" (Aug 18, 2025)
Legal & Agricultural Affairs
"Kisan Sabha hails SC’s setting aside Himachal HC order to remove orchards from forest land" (Dec 18, 2025): Covering a major Supreme Court victory for farmers, where a High Court order to remove fruit-bearing apple orchards was overturned.
"Himachal Cabinet nod to new tourism policy; focus on home-stays in tribal areas" (Dec 11, 2025): Detailing the legislative push to decentralize tourism and bring economic benefits to Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur.
3. Governance & Environment
"Forest rights and development: Why Himachal is seeking more leeway from Centre" (Dec 19, 2025): Reporting on the legal hurdles faced by the state in infrastructure projects due to the Forest Conservation Act.
"Cloudbursts and resilience: How Himachal’s remote villages are building back better" (Nov 2025): Following up on the long-term rehabilitation efforts after monsoon-related disasters.
Crime especially cyber crimes, crypto currency etc:
crypto currency: "Agents in uniform, motivational speeches, lavish parties: How a Himachal crypto con went unnoticed:A serial conman, a ‘Nelson Mandela Nobel Peace Award winner', and retired policemen got together to pull off a Rs 1,740-crore fraud" (Nov 10, 2023)
Signature Beats
Saurabh is recognized for his tenacious reporting on the state's drug epidemic. His deep familiarity with the topography and tribal culture of Himachal allows him to report from remote locations like Spiti, Pangi, Shillai, which are often overlooked by national media. His legal expertise makes him a primary choice for covering the Himachal Pradesh High Court on issues ranging from local body elections to environmental PILs.
X (Twitter): @saurabh_prashar
. ... Read More
A day after his derogatory comments on women and female co-stars, Telugu actor Sivaji has now apologized for the same. In a video on X, he claimed he used two “unparliamentary” words “inadvertently” during his speech at an event of the film Dhandora on Monday. His apology comes hours after the Telangana State Commission for Women on Tuesday summoned him to appear before it on Saturday.
4 min read
