Are Anti-Hail Guns Doing More Harm Than Good? Himachal HC Steps In to Find Out
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has decided to take a closer look at a growing worry among apple growers and villagers alike: those loud anti-hail guns that orchardists swear by. Are they actually messing with the weather?
Acting on its own, the court has asked the state government and other authorities to spell out whether these devices could be causing unintended environmental damage—like messing with rainfall patterns or even triggering cloudbursts.
A bench led by Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, along with Justice Bipen Chandra Negi, has registered a public interest litigation titled Court on its Own Motion vs. State of Himachal Pradesh and Others. This came after a resident from Bhamnoli village in Shimla’s Rohru subdivision wrote in, demanding an immediate ban or suspension of these guns.
The villager’s complaint? That these anti-hail guns, used to protect apple crops by blasting shock waves into the sky, are creating serious problems. According to the June 2 court order, areas like Baghi, Ratnari, Deori Ghat, Rohru and Kumarsain are affected.
Here’s the worry in plain words: the guns might push hail-bearing clouds away from one orchard, but then those clouds dump excessive rain and hail on neighbouring areas that don’t have the devices. That, the complainant says, harms the environment, livestock, wildlife, and farming in those “diverted” zones.
And it’s not just about rain. The repeated explosions create loud noise pollution. More alarmingly, the petitioner argues that disturbing the atmosphere like this could even trigger cloudbursts or other weather disasters. His biggest point: there’s no solid scientific study backing this technology, nor any proper regulation.
The High Court agreed that these concerns need a serious look. It has issued notices and specifically asked authorities to clarify if any conclusive scientific research exists on how anti-hail guns affect the environment and weather systems.
The court also wants to know whether the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board or the state government has framed any rules at all for installing and operating these guns.
Additional Advocate General Gobind Korla appeared for the state and accepted notice, while counsel Dhiraj Thakur did the same for another respondent. The next hearing is set for July 20, 2026.
A quick background
Anti-hail guns are quite common in Himachal’s apple belt, especially in Shimla district. Orchardists see them as a lifeline to save their crops from destructive hailstorms. The guns fire powerful shock waves upward to disrupt hail formation.
But for years, people have argued over whether they actually work—and what they do to the environment. This PIL might finally push for some real answers and a proper regulatory framework.
