RTI reply revealed that Gadchiroli witnessed highest 3,640 illegal tree felling all over Maharashtra in first three months this year  On one hand, Maharashtra Government is promoting Centre’s ‘Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam’ plantation project to encourage people to plant more trees, on the other hand the State witnessed 11,239 illegal tree felling in forest areas of Vidarbha region in the first three months of 2025.

 

According to Right To Information (RTI) reply by the State Forest Department to an RTI activist Abhay Kolarkar, the forest areas of Vidarbha region including Gadchiroli, Nagpur, Nagpur Wild Life, Chandrapur, Amravati and Yavatmal witnessed 11,239 illegal tree felling from January to March this year.

 

Among these whopping numbers, forest area in the region witnessed illegal felling of 2,718 Teak trees and 8,521 are of other trees deep inside forest area. Under the Centre’s tree plantation drive, the state Forest Department has planned to plant 10 crore saplings during this monsoon period. However, the illegal tree felling in forest area is on rise this year.

 

The forest area in Gadchiroli district witnessed the highest illegal tree felling not only in Vidarbha but also in the whole State. As per the RTI reply, Gadchiroli witnessed 3,640 trees felled illegally in which 408 were Teak and 3,232 were of other species. Similarly, the forest area of Thane district witnessed the second highest illegal tree felling with 2,851. Nagpur district is third in Maharashtra with 1,843 trees felled in just three months of 2025.

 

In Maharashtra, majority of forest cover comes under Vidarbha region and illegal tree felling also increased in this region as compared to other parts of the State. In the first three months of 2025, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar witnessed the highest illegal felling of Teak trees as the department counted 861 teak trees are missing.

 

As per the RTI reply, 74 per cent of illegal tree felling in Sambhaji Nagar were Teak trees. Yavatmal district of Vidarbha witnessed the second highest 813 Teak trees were felled illegally during January and March this year. Nagpur (349 Teak trees), Chandrapur (214), Amravati (614) and Nagpur Wild Life division (320) also witnessed whopping number of Teak tree felling in forest areas.