SC pauses order to cut apple orchards on forest land
The Supreme Court has paused a Himachal Pradesh High Court order that called for cutting down apple orchards growing on forest land.
The original order wanted these fruit trees removed and native species replanted, with the bill sent to those who planted the orchards.
Former Shimla deputy mayor Tikender Singh Panwar and activist Rajiv Rai challenged this, taking the fight to India's top court.
Petitioners say no environmental impact assessment was done
Farmers and activists say chopping thousands of apple trees—especially during monsoon—could trigger landslides, harm wildlife, and wreck local livelihoods in Himachal's sensitive hills.
Over 3,800 trees were already cut by mid-July, with plans for many more before the Supreme Court stepped in.
Petitioners argued that no environmental impact assessment was done, putting both people's incomes and the region's fragile environment at risk.