Apple Orchard Uproar: Farmers rally against court-ordered tree removals

The Himachal Seb Utpadak Sangh has urged the state government to stop the removal of apple trees labeled as 'illegally grown' on forest land. They plan to challenge the court's directive in the Himachal High Court, advocating apple rootstock as a native forest species.

The Himachal Seb Utpadak Sangh is calling on the state government to halt the process of felling what are termed illegally grown apple trees on forest land. This action comes amid a state-wide drive initiated by forest authorities.

Spearheaded by Rakesh Singha, a former MLA and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader, the Sangh has demanded an urgent meeting with apple farmers. They plan to contest the recent High Court orders that sparked this removal drive.

The court mandated the removal of improperly cultivated orchards, with instructions to replace these with native forest species. However, the Sangh argues that apple trees originate from crab apple, categorizing them as native to forest ecosystems.

(With inputs from agencies.)