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HC directs comprehensive sanitation protocols for Chadwick Falls amid environmental degradation concerns

Shimla, May 17 (UNI) In a proactive intervention aimed at safeguarding Shimla’s ecologically fragile Chadwick Falls, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has issued a fresh set of directions mandating immediate and sustainable waste management interventions.
The division bench, comprising Chief Justice G S Sandhawalia and Justice Ranjan Sharma, took suo motu cognizance in a disposed-of PIL (CWPIL) originally adjudicated on August seven, 2018, after reviewing a disturbing field assessment submitted by the Secretary, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Shimla.
The Court noted systemic failures in solid waste handling and ecological maintenance, as evidenced by the DLSA’s findings of rusted receptacles, plastic debris, shattered glass, and signs of minor sewage ingress along the 600–700 metre unmetalled approach to the waterfall.
“The report suggests severe environmental degradation, which may take place and cause threat to the ecology of the area,” the bench observed, highlighting the vulnerability of the Chadwick ecosystem.
Although SJPNL officials asserted that no active sewage discharge was infiltrating the falls and that remedial works had been completed, the Bench expressed concern over persistent illegal garbage disposal from elevated areas.
The Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board’s analysis of January 23, 2025, corroborated that coliform levels were within permissible limits, yet acknowledged “significant littering of solid waste at the starting of trail,” thereby necessitating further judicial oversight.
Situated within the Potters Hill Conservation Reserve—transferred to the Wildlife Wing in 2008—Chadwick Falls now falls under a notified eco-tourism zone, with a sanctioned management plan in effect. Entry gate infrastructure has been established, and local Self-Help Groups from Gram Panchayats Neri, Sangti, and Chailly have been roped in for operational responsibilities.
A refundable security deposit of Rs 20 per plastic-carrying visitor has also been instituted. The Court directed that all ticketing revenues be earmarked exclusively for maintenance and sanitation of the site.
Despite these interventions, the bench noted ongoing inefficiencies in upstream waste collection and disposal.
The Amicus Curiae, Advocate Deven Khanna, recommended commissioning a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) and integrating the waste stream with the Municipal Corporation’s Bariyal plant.
The Court accordingly instructed the relevant departments to issue actionable directives and operationalize an institutional mechanism for ecological preservation.
A follow-up inspection by the DLSA Secretary has been scheduled for June 30, 2025, with further proceedings slated for July 14, 2025, following the formal impleadment of Gram Panchayat Chailly.
UNI ML SS
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