Massive Tree Loss Leaves Highways Barren Across Maharashtra, Raising Environmental Alarm

Over seven lakh trees have been cut for highway expansion in Maharashtra over the past decade, leaving major roads barren and raising serious concerns about environmental degradation, rising temperatures, and biodiversity loss.

April 22, 2026 | Kolhapur: Large-scale highway expansion projects across Maharashtra over the past decade have resulted in the felling of more than seven lakh trees, leaving long stretches of national and state highways devoid of greenery and triggering environmental concerns.

According to available data, the state currently has over 18,500 kilometers of national highways and more than 33,700 kilometers of state highways. Many of these roads have undergone significant widening in recent years, with expansions ranging from two-lane to multi-lane corridors, including six and eight-lane highways. However, this development has come at a significant ecological cost.

Historically, many of these highways were lined with dense rows of trees on both sides, offering shade and supporting local biodiversity. With the widening projects, most of these trees have been cleared, transforming once green corridors into dry, barren stretches. The impact is particularly evident during summer, when travel on these highways becomes difficult due to extreme heat and lack of shade.

Environmental experts warn that such large-scale deforestation has severely disrupted local ecosystems, leading to loss of biodiversity and increased surface temperatures. In several regions, compensatory afforestation measures appear to remain largely on paper, raising questions about implementation.

Major projects have contributed significantly to this loss. Around 1.65 lakh trees were cut for the Samruddhi Expressway, while thousands more were removed for highways such as Nagpur-Sangli, Pune-Mumbai Expressway, Pune-Nashik, Kolhapur-Pune, and Mumbai-Goa corridors.

Experts emphasize that trees play a crucial role in absorbing carbon dioxide and regulating climate. Continued deforestation in the name of development could worsen the effects of global warming, making temperatures increasingly difficult to bear in the coming years. With rising environmental challenges, concerns are growing over the lack of sustainable planning and the urgent need to balance infrastructure development with ecological preservation.

Follow us On Our Social media Handles :
Instagram
Youtube
Facebook
Twitter

Also Read- Pune