A dangerous borer infestation is sweeping through sal forests in Madhya Pradesh’s Dindori district, putting as many as 100,000 trees at risk and triggering fears of an ecological disaster. Forest workers have begun marking thousands of damaged sal trees, and scientists warn that nearly one-third of the local sal population may already be infected.
Local residents say the impact has grown rapidly this year. In Sontirath village, 35 labourers have been surveying a 119-hectare sal-dominated forest, marking every tree affected by borers. Early counts reveal more than 3,000 infected trees in just three hectares, and estimates suggest the total number of damaged trees in the area may exceed 100,000 once the survey is complete.
Villagers describe a forest in distress. “The entire forest is drying up rapidly,” said Sukal, aged 70, who has lived near these trees his whole life. He claims that while minor infections have appeared over the past four to five years, this year’s outbreak is unprecedented. Workers have been instructed to mark infected trees so they can be felled immediately to prevent further spread.
Officials admit the problem is growing but have not released formal numbers. Forest department sources told Down To Earth that they are awaiting scientific reports. Local residents say official estimates of 5,000 affected trees understate the severity of the situation, pointing to visible die-off across multiple villages. Scientists who visited the district reported infestations in 30 to 35 per cent of sal trees within their study area, while villagers in the worst-affected patches believe the damage could be as high as 50 per cent.
This is not the first time Madhya Pradesh has faced a crisis of this scale. In 1995, a similar outbreak spiralled beyond control, leading to the felling of more than half a million sal trees, including many healthy ones, after early warnings were ignored. That infestation affected more than 200,000 trees and resulted in losses worth approximately ₹1,200 crore.
Historically, major sal borer outbreaks tend to recur roughly every 20 years. Researchers say this year’s surge may be linked to heavy rainfall and high humidity during the 2025 monsoon. “Humidity accelerates the pest’s spread,” a researcher explained during a recent assessment. Sal borers remain hidden as larvae inside tree trunks through winter, emerging in summer to spread rapidly. Female beetles can lay up to 250 eggs each, causing infestations to multiply quickly.
Villagers fear the ecological consequences will be severe. In Chauraddar village, where 95 per cent of trees are sal, residents say the canopy has already thinned and temperatures have risen noticeably. “If this continues, the entire sal forest will disappear in four to five years,” one villager warned.
Scientists say a proven method exists to control the pests: the trap-tree technique, introduced two decades ago. It involves felling selected healthy sal trees to attract beetles, which are then eliminated manually before they can spread further. Experts insist that timely intervention is crucial to prevent another large-scale collapse of central India’s sal forests.
Without urgent action, residents worry that the region could face rising temperatures, loss of wildlife habitats, drying water sources and long-term ecological damage. For now, marking continues, but the forest’s survival may depend on swift decisions in the coming weeks.