In a recent submission to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Himachal Pradesh government disclosed that approximately 0.11% of the state's forest land has been lost to illegal encroachments, amounting to 3,816.83 hectares out of a total forest cover of 34,06,534.87 hectares. The highest encroachment was reported in Shimla district, where 1,839.73 hectares of forest land is illegally occupied, representing 0.55% of its total forest cover. Kullu district follows with 815.06 hectares encroached, while Mandi and Kangra districts report 263.29 hectares and 318.94 hectares of encroached land, respectively. The state has successfully evicted encroachments from 2,573.58 hectares, but significant areas remain under illegal occupation. Eviction orders have been issued for numerous cases, but some are still pending in the High Court of Himachal Pradesh. This situation raises concerns about the enforcement of forest protection laws and the impact on the environment.