Shimla, Sept. 18 -- The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee, which has been probing illegal constructions, hill cutting and tree felling in Himachal Pradesh's ecologically sensitive green belt areas, is set to visit Shimla soon. Special secretary, disaster management, Pushpendra Rana, said the committee visited Dharamshala on September 6 to collect field-level information and met officials to discuss issues relating to ecology and environmental conditions prevailing in the state. The visit to Shimla is expected by the first week of October, he said.

Rana said the committee was examining development practices and environmental concerns in the state and was expected to submit its findings to the Supreme Court. The case come...