Kotkhai forest eviction drive: 2,541 Apple and Pear trees felled in four days
Shimla, July 16,
The large-scale eviction drive in Himachal Pradesh’s Kotkhai region entered its fourth consecutive day on Monday, with the felling of 381 apple and pear trees in Village Chaithla under Gram Panchayat Pandali. Carried out under the close supervision of the Special Operation Procedure (SOP) team, the operation is part of a High Court-monitored campaign to remove illegal orchards grown on encroached forest land.
The action on Monday targeted orchards belonging to Madan Gopal, Kusum, Jagatram, Pradeep, Devkanya, Pramod, Naresh Tajta, and Mastram. Officials confirmed that the process was completed without incident by 4:55 PM. Authorities noted that the law and order situation remained peaceful throughout the operation.
With this latest development, the total number of fruit trees cut down in the last four days has risen to 2,541, in addition to a single peach tree. The drive, which began on July 12, has seen the removal of 93 apple trees from land linked to Dinesh Tajta and 664 trees from orchards owned by Pratap Chauhan on the first day. The following day, 418 apple, 53 pear, and one peach tree were felled. On July 14, 831 more apple and pear trees were axed from land held by ten individuals, bringing the cumulative tally to 2,541 trees by July 15.
The eviction operation is being carried out in compliance with the Himachal Pradesh High Court’s orders in CWPIL No. 17 of 2024 and CWPIL No. 9 of 2015. The court has directed the removal of all encroachments on forest land and ordered the replanting of indigenous forest species in the reclaimed areas. It has also mandated the recovery of costs from those responsible for illegal cultivation and issued bailable warrants against individuals attempting to obstruct the proceedings.
To ensure smooth implementation, the district administration has deployed security personnel under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. Restrictions on firearms remain in force, and the entire operation is being executed under judicial monitoring.
Officials have confirmed that the forest land clearance drive will continue in the coming days, as the state moves to reclaim large swathes of forest land encroached upon over the years for commercial apple cultivation.
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