Despite the Supreme Court order banning mining in forest areas, illegal mining of slate is going on in the Khaniyara region near Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. The State Commission on Environment Protection, which had been set up to look into the various aspects of mining in Khaniyara, had recommended a ban of 10 years on quarrying in the area. It had said that the impact of environmental degradation had already started manifesting itself in the form of flash floods and loss of soil fertility.