Shimla, July 17 -- The ongoing felling of illegally grown apple trees on forest land in Himachal Pradesh has triggered a widespread outrage. While the high court has reiterated that all orchards grown on the encroached forest land shall be removed, apple growers have termed the move 'anti-farmer' stating that these orchards were planted decades ago and are a source of livelihood for thousands of families. HT takes a look at the genesis of the issue and its repercussions.

What is the issue

Historically, the Himachal economy has heavily relied on agriculture and horticulture. Many individuals and communities have expanded their agricultural land or planted orchards on forest lands, often due to small land holdings, limited land availabili...