Himachal imposes a two-week ban on hill cutting and fresh building permissions
A spokesperson of the state government informed here today that hill cutting for any kind of private development and construction activity, except for rebuilding of disaster-affected buildings and roads, shall be banned in the entire State for two weeks i.e. up to 16th September 2023.
Apart from this fresh planning permission/building permissions shall also be banned for commercial/tourism units in Shimla, Mandi, Kullu, Kangra, Solan, and Chamba districts upto 16th September, 2023.
He said that during the ongoing monsoon season, unprecedented environmental disruptions have been witnessed across the State, which include catastrophic landslides, land subsidence, river bank failures, and severe erosion leading to the tragic loss of valuable lives and properties.
The spokesperson said that this decision has been taken in order to ensure the utmost safety of human lives, habitations, and infrastructure, to preserve the fragile ecological environment of the State, and further with the intention to limit any such damage in the future.
He said that the order shall come into force with immediate effect and violations will be dealt as per law.