Chandrapur: Illegal tree felling has declined in the state between 2021 and March 2026, but the financial impact has not reduced at the same pace, reveals an RTI reply by the Forest Department.The period between 2021 and March 2026 saw the loss of 3.63 lakh trees, including 1.35 lakh teak trees, to illegal felling, causing an assessed loss of about ₹33.05 crore, according to data obtained by RTI activist Abhay Kolarkar.From 81,086 in 2021, the number of trees felled illegally dropped to 63,049 in 2025, a decline of about 22%. Teak felling dropped by nearly 36%, from 31,310 trees to 19,911 over the same period.The assessed loss stood at ₹6.81 crore in 2021 and ₹5.77 crore in 2025. It peaked at ₹6.90 crore in 2023, despite the number of trees being lower than in 2021.The first three months of 2026 saw illegal felling of 17,114 trees, including 5,774 teak trees. The data for Jan-March 2026 also reveals sharp regional differences. Dhule recorded the highest number of teak trees felled at 1,353, followed by Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar at 1,006 and Yavatmal at 961. Nagpur recorded the highest teak-related assessed loss at ₹25.55 lakh.Chandrapur recorded the loss of 1,672 trees, including 174 teak trees, during the first quarter, with an assessed loss of ₹5.66 lakh.The data indicate that while statewide numbers have declined, illegal felling remains a significant forest-management challenge.
