📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Yann Forget
Agriculture
Madhya Pradesh to fell 140,000 sal trees to curb beetle outbreak and protect forests
✍️ The Indian Express
🗓 04 Oct 2026, 08:45 AM
👁 16
The state government has approved the removal of about 140,000 sal trees after a beetle infestation threatened forest health, saying the drastic measure will help restore ecological balance.
The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department announced a plan to cut roughly 140,000 sal (Shorea robusta) trees across several forest ranges where a native beetle species has caused extensive damage. Officials said the infestation, identified as the sal longhorn beetle, is weakening trees, making them prone to disease and increasing the risk of large‑scale die‑off.
According to the department, selective felling of the most affected trees will be followed by re‑planting of healthy saplings and intensive monitoring to prevent a resurgence. The move, though controversial, is presented as a preventive strategy to safeguard the broader forest ecosystem and the livelihoods of communities dependent on forest resources.
Environmental groups have urged the government to ensure that the felling is limited to the infested areas and that reforestation efforts meet scientific guidelines. The state has pledged to allocate funds for post‑cutting restoration and to involve local forest‑dependent villages in the monitoring process.
The decision comes amid growing concerns across India about invasive insects and their impact on native forests. Authorities hope that the targeted removal will halt the beetle’s spread and allow the remaining sal stands to recover.
The operation is slated to begin in the upcoming weeks, with field teams equipped to identify and remove only the compromised trees, while preserving healthy sections of the forest.
According to the department, selective felling of the most affected trees will be followed by re‑planting of healthy saplings and intensive monitoring to prevent a resurgence. The move, though controversial, is presented as a preventive strategy to safeguard the broader forest ecosystem and the livelihoods of communities dependent on forest resources.
Environmental groups have urged the government to ensure that the felling is limited to the infested areas and that reforestation efforts meet scientific guidelines. The state has pledged to allocate funds for post‑cutting restoration and to involve local forest‑dependent villages in the monitoring process.
The decision comes amid growing concerns across India about invasive insects and their impact on native forests. Authorities hope that the targeted removal will halt the beetle’s spread and allow the remaining sal stands to recover.
The operation is slated to begin in the upcoming weeks, with field teams equipped to identify and remove only the compromised trees, while preserving healthy sections of the forest.