Supreme Court orders sweeping clean-up of Agasthyamalai landscape

The Supreme Court has mandated a comprehensive restoration of the Agasthyamalai forest region, citing severe environmental degradation due to unlawful infrastructure. The court has taken a hard stance, ordering strict penalties against officials involved and threatening to deploy paramilitary forces if state authorities don't comply. This move underscores the critical need to protect this biodiverse area, which is home to many endemic species and plays a crucial role in regional water cycles. The ruling reflects growing judicial activism in environmental protection.