Unchecked deforestation in Himachal Pradesh is contributing to the state’s increasing vulnerability to cloudbursts, floods, and landslides, environmental experts have warned. The scale of tree cutting became evident when thousands of tons of timber washed down rivers after recent heavy rains, prompting the Supreme Court to term it prima facie illegal forest cutting.
While Himachal Pradesh is known as the lungs of North India, decades of both legal and illegal tree felling have weakened its forest cover. The state has 37,948 sq km recorded as forest land (68% of total area), but actual green cover is only 15,443 sq km (28%), according to the Indian State Forest Report 2021.
Environmental activist and lawyer Deven Khanna highlighted systematic issues: “I reported tree felling in Dharamshala where trees were cut both privately and publicly. We requested satellite mapping of Nachan and Shikari Mata temple areas where many roads were built through tree cutting. The High Court ordered satellite mapping, but the department didn’t take it seriously.”
Massive forest land allocation for projects
Legal forest clearances have been granted to 296 hydroelectric projects covering 5,586 hectares. Thousands more trees have been cut for dams, highways, and four-lane roads. Approximately 150 roads were built using unscientific tree cutting methods.
The compensation plantation promised for development projects remains largely on paper. While millions of saplings are planted annually in Himachal, there has been no proper assessment for decades of how many actually survive.
Researcher Manshi Asher emphasized the need for investigation: “Large-scale tree cutting is happening for highways and dams. The timber deposits in Pandoh Dam and Ravi river raise questions. Whether these are tree remains or illegal cutting should be properly investigated.”
Traditional trees replaced with monoculture
Environmentalist Sandeep Minhas warned about the broader implications: “Forest area reduction increases disaster risk. Development projects are causing indiscriminate deforestation. Trees like deodar, ban, bamboo, and pine that hold soil and maintain water sources are being replaced with fruit trees or monoculture plants.”
The conversion of thousands of hectares of forest land into apple orchards required sacrificing massive deodar trees, fundamentally altering the ecosystem’s ability to prevent soil erosion and maintain water sources.
Forest department denies illegal cutting
Despite video evidence of massive timber flows in rivers, forest officials maintain these don’t indicate illegal cutting. Kehar Singh Khachi, Vice Chairman of Himachal Pradesh Forest Corporation, stated: “Heavy rains have devastated forests with large-scale landslides. Many standing trees fell. The timber that flowed downstream shows no evidence of illegal cutting.”
However, environmental experts and legal activists dispute this assessment, pointing to satellite imagery showing new clearings in forest areas and documented cases of unauthorized tree cutting across districts.
Dr. Sandeep Sharma from Himalayan Forest Research Institute emphasized community involvement: “Whether stopping deforestation or plantation, community participation is essential. People need awareness to increase green cover. Good forests moderate climate and prevent disasters.”
The debate over forest conservation versus development continues as Himachal faces increasing climate-related disasters, with experts arguing that protecting the state’s forest cover is crucial for long-term disaster resilience.
