Himachal floods expose ‘Pushpa-style' timber smuggling racket in State! Watch

The smuggling of red sandalwood shown in Tollywood Icon Star Allu Arjun's blockbuster Pushpa franchise gripped audiences with its daring depictions of timber mafias. But recent scenes from Himachal Pradesh bore an eerie resemblance- not on the silver screen, but in reality. As devastating floods swept across the hill state, rivers carried away massive piles of cut logs, raising alarms about a hidden timber smuggling network thriving in the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.

Viral Clips Force Scrutiny

Videos circulated on social media showed torrents of floodwater dragging hundreds of neatly chopped tree trunks downstream.

These floods in Himachal have exposed the biggest Timber smuggling racket ?#HimachalFloods #himachal #flood #Flood2025pic.twitter.com/NxscRQoPK9

— Kamit Solanki (@KamitSolanki) September 3, 2025

The visuals immediately drew comparisons to Pushpa’s smuggling operations and sparked questions about how such large-scale felling could occur unnoticed. Experts pointed out that while floods naturally uproot trees, the uniform cuts on many logs strongly suggested systematic illegal felling.

They are looting Natural resources in Himachal. Hope someone can wake up the administration. https://t.co/ljO0c0E4in

— 𝕲𝖆𝖓𝖊𝖘𝖍 * (@ggganeshh) September 5, 2025

Supreme Court Steps In

Taking note of these shocking visuals, the Supreme Court issued notices to the Centre, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and the governments of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir. The bench observed that the presence of so much timber in floodwaters 'prima facie' points to rampant smuggling, and directed authorities to file detailed responses. The court also indicated it may expand the inquiry to larger ecological concerns in Himalayan states.

Politics and Accountability

The controversy triggered political sparring in Himachal. The state’s Industries Minister acknowledged major lapses in forest surveillance, blaming over-reliance on low-level staff while opposition leaders demanded independent inquiries into the forest department. Local representatives and activists urged for strict patrolling of vulnerable forest zones and accountability from senior officials.

Ecological Risks and People’s Losses

Environmentalists warn that illegal logging makes already fragile slopes more vulnerable to landslides and flash floods. Beyond ecological destruction, the smuggled timber represents a thriving underground economy where natural resources are stripped at the cost of local livelihoods. Farmers downstream have already reported damaged orchards and submerged fields, with PILs now demanding compensation and rehabilitation.

Latest Developments

The Supreme Court has scheduled follow-up hearings and directed the Centre and states to submit written replies. State officials are now tasked with distinguishing between trees uprooted naturally by floods and those illegally cut before the disaster. Civil society groups have called for satellite-based monitoring, GPS tagging of sanctioned logging, and a temporary halt on commercial felling in high-risk catchments until probes are complete.