Madhya Pradesh: Over 1.24 lakh trees to be felled for Mhow–Khandwa rail upgrade

At least 1.24 lakh trees are expected to be cut to facilitate the railway’s Mhow–Khandwa gauge-conversion project in Madhya Pradesh, forest officials said on Wednesday.

The project involves converting the historic narrow-gauge route into a broad-gauge line, a move that officials say will cut travel time between Indore and Mumbai and improve connectivity between western Madhya Pradesh and south India.

Indore divisional forest officer Pradeep Mishra said efforts will be made to prevent felling of some trees. “According to our estimates, 1.24 lakh trees will be cut, but we will make every effort to save the remaining trees. Many trees will also be saved due to tunnel construction in the hilly areas,” he said.

The forest department has received in-principle approval from the Centre for felling, with final clearance to follow procedural compliance. Mishra said a mitigation plan has been prepared to reduce adverse impacts on wildlife, soil and moisture retention.

The project will affect roughly 404 hectares of forest land in Indore district and 46 hectares in Khargone. Officials said compensatory afforestation would be carried out on double the impacted area.

Owing to limited land availability in Indore, plantation work will be undertaken on 916 hectares in Dhar and Jhabua districts at the rate of 1,000 saplings per hectare.

The Mhow–Khandwa corridor is part of a 156-km gauge-conversion project, replacing a 118-km pre-Independence narrow-gauge track. Railway officials said work is underway and targeted for completion by 2027–28.

However, environmental concerns persist. Indore-based environmentalist Shankarlal Garg warned that large-scale tree loss in the forests of Choral and Mhow could alter regional climate patterns.

“The climate of a city like Indore depends significantly on these forests. Tree felling will impact rainfall and temperature,” he said, adding that reduced forest cover could heighten human–wildlife conflict.

Officials maintain the project is critical for regional connectivity, while environmental groups continue to call for alternative alignments and stronger ecological safeguards.

With PTI inputs