Thousands of trees felled in Rewa, records show only 65:4-lane-like route cuts through woodland; 8km forest corridor raises questions

Rewa is witnessing large-scale and allegedly indiscriminate cutting of valuable teak forests in the name of laying the Bansagar project pipeline. According to official forest department records, only 65 trees were permitted to be cut, but ground reality suggests the number runs into thousands. The area is dense and hilly, making the cutting difficult to notice. As soon as reports of tree felling surfaced, the Dainik Bhaskar team surveyed the Chhuhiya Valley and Kushmani forests, where a disturbing picture emerged. Importance of Rewa forests and white tiger heritage Spread across around 1 lakh hectares between the Vindhya and Kaimur mountain ranges, the Rewa forest division is known across the country for its rich biodiversity. The region is home to valuable trees such as teak, mahua, tendu and khair. Historically, it also holds global significance. On 25 May 1951, the world’s first white tiger ‘Mohan’ was captured from the then Dubri Game Sanctuary by Maharaja Martand Singh. Large-scale tree cutting now poses a serious threat to forest wealth, environment, and wildlife habitats including elephants, leopards, bears and nilgai. See pictures of the cutting… What is the Bansagar project? The Bansagar project is a major multipurpose river valley scheme in Madhya Pradesh, built on the Son River. Its main dam is located in the Deolond area. Started under a 1973 agreement between Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the project aims at irrigation, power generation and water conservation. The Bhaskar team first reached Chhuhiya Valley on the Rewa–Sidhi road, where the first ground reality was shocking. Forests cut up to 8 km inside, road-like corridor created In Chhuhiya Valley, continuous signs of tree cutting and fresh stumps were visible deep inside what was once dense forest. Open patches of land have now appeared in place of thick forest cover. When the team moved 7–8 km inside the Kushmani forests from Govindgarh, large-scale clearing was found. Surprisingly, the destruction was not limited to small patches—rather, a full road-like corridor of four-lane width has been carved out through the forest. Villagers, speaking cautiously, said machinery and activity intensify inside the forest during night hours and the destruction has been going on for a long time. DFO claim contradicted, ranger avoids questions DFO Lokesh Nirapure has claimed that no tree cutting has taken place in Chhuhiya Valley. However, when asked how a road-like stretch extending up to 8 km inside the forest exists if only 65 trees were cut, he had no answer. At the same time, Govindgarh beat ranger Ambuj Nayan Pandey avoided comments, citing his transfer to Chhatarpur, despite still not being relieved from Rewa. New risk due to hill cutting The investigation also revealed that not only trees but also parts of hills along Chhuhiya Valley have been dangerously cut for road alignment. Experts warn that such unscientific cutting during the monsoon season increases the risk of landslides, falling rocks and major road accidents. Serious questions raised by villagers and experts Local resident Ramlal Patel said the on-ground situation clearly contradicts the official claim of only 65 trees being cut. He said what was once a dense forest has now turned into a long cleared corridor, indicating large-scale destruction, and demanded an independent inquiry. Retired forest ranger R.K. Singh said that in road construction, not only tree count but also the total affected area is assessed. He suggested stump counting, GPS mapping and satellite imaging to verify the actual impact and expose the gap between official records and ground reality. The mathematics that exposes the Forest Department According to experts, dense forests typically have 400 to 1000 trees per hectare. If a 6 km long and 4–6 metre wide road is carved through such forest, around 2.4 to 3.6 hectares of forest land is affected. This implies that between 1,000 and 3,500 trees would have to be cut for such a stretch. In this context, the official figure of just 65 trees appears highly questionable and suggests possible irregularities.