More than 1.56 lakh sal trees affected by sal borer in Dindori and Anuppur districts of Madhya Pradesh have been approved for felling. The approval covers 1,46,784 trees in Dindori and 9,535 in the Amarkantak area of Anuppur.
The Centre has given permission to fell 1,46,784 affected sal trees in Dindori and 9,535 in the Amarkantak area of Anuppur to control the sal borer outbreak. A total of 1,56,319 trees will be felled in the two districts.
In Dindori, the Karajniya range has been the worst affected by the sal borer. About 90% of the affected trees in the district are in this range. During a visit to the affected areas in December 2025, large amounts of sawdust were found beneath several trees, indicating insect infestation.
The sal borer enters sal trees and damages them from inside. To control the infestation, the Forest Department also launched a trap-tree operation. Under the programme, local residents were asked to collect sal borer insects, for which the department paid Rs 2 per insect. According to the Dindori Forest Department, 19,25,118 insects have been purchased so far, for which about Rs 38.5 lakh has been paid.
Ground Report had reported extensively on the issue from Kabir Chabutra village in Dindori in August. The Forest Department also involved local residents in identifying and marking affected trees. Despite this, permission has now been granted to fell a large number of affected trees. The department said the felling is aimed at controlling the sal borer outbreak and preventing its spread.
The sal borer outbreak is not new to Dindori. Documents from the State Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur, mention the insect in the Karajniya area more than a century ago. The oldest record of the outbreak in Madhya Pradesh dates back to 1905. Documents also mention that about 10 lakh sal trees in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were affected by the insect between 1997 and 2000.
Following the Centre’s approval, the affected sal trees in Dindori and Amarkantak will now be felled. Media reports say felling could begin soon in Dindori, while work in Amarkantak is expected to start in October.
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