Reversing its earlier order, the Himachal Pradesh High Court on Monday directed the authorities to stop cutting the apple trees in encroached government land but to continue the eviction of all illegal encroachment by farmers.
Deciding on a review petition, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Chauhan ordered that fruit laden trees and standing crops would not be removed now and the encroached orchards would be taken over by the government. The Court passed the modified order and maintained that the process of vacating the forests by the government agencies from the illegal intruders would continue.
The court has ordered that the State to sell the crop from the encroached land this year and use this money for the re-plantation of the original forest species.
The fruit trees should be pruned subsequently to make way for natural flora in these trespassed forests, the court said. The encroached land should be fenced by barbed wire to stop future intrusions.
Thousands of apple trees have been raised in forest lands of Himachal Pradesh after clearing the natural vegetation including by farmers in connivance with the forest and revenue department officials.
