Considerable forest lands have been deforested in the last couple of decades for various reasons. One of the most important causes of depletion has been unauthorized cultivation by local people. Periodically, considering the urgency of distribution of land to landless people, the government has been regularizing such encroachments. But, at the same time, foresters are worried about the reduction in the proportion of forest lands to the total geographical land of India. The National Forest Policy 1952 stipulates retention of a minimum of 33% of the country's land under forest cover. The case deals with serious conflicts created by this phenomenon in forestry management.