Himachal forest encroachment drive: Apple trees felled on HC orders in Kotkhai village

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 13 (ANI): Acting on the orders of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, the Forest Department on Saturday launched a crackdown on illegal encroachments over forest land in Kotkhai's Chaithla village, felling apple trees planted by encroachers, an official statement said.
The operation was conducted under a heavy security deployment.
Further, as per the statement, the action, aimed at reclaiming forest land from unauthorised apple cultivation, was carried out in the presence of SDM Kotkhai, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Thiyog, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Thiyog, and the local Tehsildar. Police personnel were deployed to maintain law and order during the eviction.
According to officials, the apple trees had been illegally planted on protected forest land, in direct violation of the Himachal Pradesh High Court's orders. In a significant ruling dated July 2, 2025, a Division Bench comprising Justices Vivek Singh Thakur and Bipin C. Negi had directed the state to remove all such encroachments from forest land without delay, especially apple orchards, and to initiate reforestation efforts during the monsoon season.
The court had further instructed that costs incurred in the removal and restoration process be recovered from the encroachers as arrears of land revenue. The bench also emphasised the need to plant native forest species on reclaimed land.
Given the sensitive nature of the operation, the District Magistrate of Shimla, who also heads the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to enforce the court's directives, imposed a ban on carrying firearms and weapons in Chaithla village until July 18. However, the order exempts police, paramilitary forces, and other authorised security personnel, the statement added.
"Only security forces, including police and paramilitary personnel, and other authorised personnel are exempted from this restriction," the DM's notification stated.
The High Court's order was passed in response to a prolonged legal battle and a series of PILs concerning large-scale encroachments on forest lands in apple-growing regions of Himachal Pradesh.
Further eviction drives are expected to continue in other forest-encroached areas, as the state moves to comply fully with the court's directives. (ANI)