As per case facts, appellants/petitioners residing in Assam's reserved forests for over seventy years faced eviction notices from the State, which deemed them unauthorized occupants despite prior acknowledgment via identity ... documents. The State aims to remove encroachments for environmental protection. Petitioners challenged eviction as arbitrary and lacking due process. The question arose regarding the State's constitutional obligation to protect reserved forests versus the manner of fulfilling this when long-standing human habitation is asserted. Finally, the Supreme Court approved the State's detailed procedure for removing unauthorized occupation, involving a committee, notices, evidence submission, speaking orders, and a 15-day vacation period. The Court directed that environmental protection must adhere to rule of law, ensuring fairness and due process, with status quo maintained until speaking orders and notice periods expire.