Acting on the Himachal Pradesh High Court’s orders, the Forest Department on Saturday began clearing illegal encroachments in Chaithla village of Kotkhai, cutting down apple trees that had been planted on forest land by encroachers, according to an official statement.
The operation was carried out under tight security, given the sensitivity of the situation. According to the statement, the move to reclaim forest land from unauthorised apple cultivation was overseen by key officials, including the SDM Kotkhai, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Thiyog, DSP Thiyog, and the local Tehsildar, who were present on-site during the action.
To ensure the action is carried out peacefully, police personnel were deployed to maintain law and order. Officials said the apple trees had been planted illegally on protected forest land, in clear violation of the Himachal Pradesh High Court’s directives.
The crackdown follows a July 2, 2025 order by a Division Bench of Justices Vivek Singh Thakur and Bipin C. Negi, which directed the state to clear all forest encroachments without delay, particularly apple orchards, and begin planting native forest species on reclaimed land during the current monsoon season.
The court also instructed that the cost of removing the encroachments and restoring the land be recovered from the violators as arrears of land revenue.
Considering the sensitive nature of the operation, the District Magistrate of Shimla—who also leads the Special Investigation Team (SIT) tasked with implementing the court’s orders—imposed a ban on carrying firearms and weapons in Chaithla village until July 18.
Given the tense atmosphere in the region, the District Magistrate of Shimla, who leads the Special Investigation Team (SIT) tasked with implementing the court's directives, issued a temporary ban on carrying firearms or weapons in Chaithla village until July 18. The order, however, exempts police, paramilitary, and other authorised security personnel.
"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 strict stance comes after years of legal petitions and public interest litigations (PILs) raising concerns over rampant encroachment on forest land in Himachal’s apple belt. More such drives are likely to be carried out in other forest-encroached areas as the state government is now under pressure to act swiftly and ensure compliance with the court’s orders.
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