IWN Daily Digest — Saturday, 31 October 2026
More than 25,000 mature teak trees have died in the forests of Betul district in Madhya Pradesh over about three years, and forest officials suspect drought and heat stress, a finding that will help shape how the area is managed for the next decade.
As reported by Down To Earth:
“Mortality was gradual at first and only became noticeable in large numbers in 2025-26.” … “During the 2026 monsoon, Betul received approximately 69 per cent of its normal rainfall, according to Mishra.”
The deputy conservator of forests and working plan officer in Betul led a tree-by-tree GPS survey of 16,800 hectares in the West Betul forest division, covering the Sawaligarh, Chicholi, Tawadi and Mohda ranges as well as West Betul itself. Some deaths were also reported in the neighbouring South Betul division. He believes prolonged drought and heat stress have caused hydraulic failure, the breakdown of a tree’s internal water transport system.
Most of the affected trees measured 60 to 150 cm in girth and were estimated to be between 40 and 120 years old, or older. Satellite data showed vegetation and moisture stress in the area as early as 2022-23, and Down To Earth describes Betul as one of India’s major teak-producing districts and a highly drought-prone one.
Competing Theories
An investigation by the Tropical Forest Research Institute in February 2025 found no fungal or other pathogenic infection in the samples it tested, including Phomopsis tectonae, and suggested that waterlogging could be contributing. In South Betul, the institute found the highest mortality among trees of 90 to 119 cm girth, with dieback limited to a few areas and affecting less than 5 per cent of neighbouring trees.
Betul earns more than Rs 100 crore a year from timber harvesting, according to the forest officer, who described the scale of the die-off as unprecedented in the region in at least 20 years. He has called for dead standing teak to be removed promptly, to limit the loss of timber value and reduce fire risk.
The findings will feed into the next 10-year Working Plan, which sets priorities for timber harvesting, forest protection and regeneration.
Sources: Down To Earth
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