Why it is in the news
The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has begun felling about 1.47 lakh sal trees in Dindori district, infested by the sal heartwood borer (Hoplocerambyx spinicornis), after the Centre approved the felling in September 2026 — one of the largest sal sanitation fellings in recent years. Alongside, villagers have handed in 19,25,118 beetles caught on trap trees at ₹2 each, a bill of ₹38.5 lakh (as reported on 5 October 2026).
The exam angle
Issue: Is mass felling the right answer to a native forest pest, or does it trade a cyclical ecological event for permanent canopy loss?