SC to set up panel to study 'carrying capacity of overcrowded' hill stations in Uttarakhand, Himachal, other states

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and other Himalayan states. As per a TOI report, a panel of experts, consisting of individuals with expertise in environment, hydrology, ecology, and climate studies from government institutes will evaluate the «carrying capacity» of these hill stations that have been grappling with a spate of natural disasters like landslides and flash floods.

The decision comes in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Ashok Kumar Raghav, represented by counsel Akash Vashishtha.

The PIL highlighted the urgency of assessing the 'carrying capacity' of tourist destinations in hill states. The court, led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, acknowledged the gravity of the issue, remarking, «It is a very important issue.» The bench expressed concern that without a comprehensive evaluation of carrying capacity and subsequent adjustments to master plans, these towns would remain susceptible to environmental and ecological crises that could jeopardize their sustainability.

In response to the court's proposal for an expert committee, Aishwarya Bhati, additional solicitor general, conveyed that the Union government had already created a template for hill stations across all states, as directed by the National Green Tribunal.

This template focuses on the sustainable development and urbanization of hill stations. However, the bench recognized the jurisdiction of individual states over land-related matters and proposed a dual approach.

The Supreme Court's strategy involves two key steps.

First, the Union government will seek responses from all states regarding their adherence to the sustainable development template within an eight-week timeframe. Concurrently, an expert body will be constituted