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Fast urbanisation and industrialisation in the forest and hilly areas is also an important cause of forest degradation. The size of cities like Shimla, Mussoorie, Dehra-Dun, Nainital, Ranikhet, Chamba, Dalhousie, Darjeeling etc. has increased over ten times during the last thirty years. There has been rapid expansion of roads in the Himalayas and other forest areas as a result of which the valuable forests have been exposed to tourists and pleasure-seekers.