The Himachal Pradesh high court has taken cognisance of public and ecological concerns regarding anti-hail guns in the state’s apple belt and has asked the state government to explain “if any conclusive study has been done by the State Pollution Control Board or whether the state has issued any guideline on the said issue.”
Anti-hail guns are widely used in parts of Himachal’s apple belt, particularly in Shimla district, to protect fruit crops from hailstorms. The devices produce powerful shock waves directed towards the sky with the aim of disrupting hail formation. While orchardists consider them an important crop-protection measure.
Division bench comprising chief justice GS Sandhawalia and justice Ranjan Sharma issued the notice to state government for July 20, 2026, in which they will have to reply whether the devices could have adverse environmental consequences, including the potential to influence rainfall patterns and contribute to natural calamities such as cloudbursts.
The present public interest litigation is an off shoot of a communication received from a resident of Bhamnoli Village seeking immediate ban/suspension of anti-hail guns in state due to environment, ecological and public safety concerns.
The purpose, as such, is to divert the clouds so that the rain followed by hail, does not come down on particular portions of the agricultural land and to avoid damage to the apple crop. However, the net result is that the diversion of the clouds to the other areas leads to heavier rain fall and impacts the said areas adversely where people have not installed the Anti Hail Guns.
Considering this the division bench issued notice to find out, as to whether any conclusive study has been done by the State Pollution Control Board or whether the State has issued any guideline on the said issue.
