A massive landslide struck near Chaukar village in Sirmaur’s Nauhradhar area on Saturday, collapsing a large section of a hillside and stretching nearly 200 metres.
According to officials, five people were present at the spot but escaped unhurt.
However, five houses now lie in the danger zone as the ground remains unstable. The region has already suffered heavy damage from this year’s monsoon, which has triggered repeated disasters across Himachal Pradesh.
The video of the landslide which is now viral shows a sudden burst of water erupting from beneath the ground, causing the land to cave in. Trees, plants, and debris were swept away in seconds.
This latest disaster follows a series of landslides across the state in recent weeks. Earlier this month, a landslide in Wangtu, Kinnaur, damaged several vehicles, while debris sliding down the hill near the Nathpa Dam disrupted traffic on National Highway-5 and posed a risk to the 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri Hydropower Project, NDTV reported.
So far, no casualties have been reported in the Sirmaur collapse. But the scale of the destruction has once again drawn attention to Himachal Pradesh’s growing vulnerability to extreme weather events.
NDRF personnel conduct a search and rescue operation at a landslide-hit area, in Akhara Bazaar, Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (PTI)
According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), 355 people have died so far during the monsoon season. Of these, 194 deaths were linked to landslides, flash floods, drowning, lightning strikes, and other weather-triggered incidents. Another 161 died in road accidents.
The repeated disasters have reinforced concerns raised by the Supreme Court over ecological imbalance in the Himalayan state.
“The day is not far” — Supreme Court warning
Just two days before the Sirmaur landslide, the Supreme Court again raised alarm over rampant deforestation and unplanned development in Himachal Pradesh.
In this image posted on Sept. 5, 2025, A view of a damaged house in a flood-affected Akhada Bazar area, in Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh. (PTI)
Referring to recent videos of timber logs floating in floodwaters, a bench led by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran observed that “rampant illegal tree felling” appeared to be taking place in the region.
The court’s sharpest warning, however, came earlier this summer.
On July 28, while hearing a petition challenging the state’s June 2025 notification declaring certain areas as “green area,” the court cautioned that Himachal Pradesh may one day “vanish in thin air” from the map of India if corrective steps were not taken.
“If things proceed the way they are as on date, the day is not far when the entire state of HP may vanish in thin air from the map of the country. God forbid this doesn’t happen,” a bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan had said.
“The situation in the state of Himachal Pradesh has gone from bad to worse. The severe ecological imbalance and other environmental conditions have led to serious natural calamities over a period of years,” the bench added.
The justices noted that the state’s natural beauty had been exploited to push construction projects without adequate environmental planning. Four-lane highways, tunnels, and large-scale building works have increased the area’s vulnerability to natural disasters, they said.
“With forests encompassing more than 66 per cent of the total land area, Himachal Pradesh is renowned for its abundant beauty and greenery. But the danger to this natural richness is growing as a result of human greed and apathy,” the bench observed.
The Supreme Court also urged both the state and the Union government to seek the opinions of geologists, environmental experts, and local communities before approving major projects.
“Revenue cannot be earned at the cost of environment and ecology,” the top court said.