Adani Group denies tree felling near Bhimashankar Temple, calls videos fabricated
Synopsis
Adani Group has flatly denied viral social media videos claiming it is behind tree felling near the sacred Bhimashankar Temple in Pune, calling them fabricated. The denial is paired with details of its 1.6-million-tree afforestation drive in Chhattisgarh — a pointed environmental counter-narrative amid growing public scrutiny of corporate conduct near protected and religious sites.
Key Takeaways
Adani Group on 25 October 2026 denied all links to alleged tree felling near Bhimashankar Temple in Pune district, Maharashtra .
A company spokesperson called the viral videos 'false, misleading and fabricated' in a statement posted on X .
The group confirmed it has no project — proposed or ongoing — in the area or its vicinity.
Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) has planted more than 1.6 million trees across 568 hectares at its PEKB mine in Chhattisgarh , with a survival rate of about 88% .
Over ₹259 crore has been deposited with the Chhattisgarh government for afforestation and environmental measures.
The company targets more than 4 million trees at the PEKB site by end of the decade.
The Adani Group on 25 October 2026 firmly rejected social media claims linking it to alleged tree felling and displacement near the Bhimashankar Temple in Maharashtra's Pune district, describing the circulating videos as 'false, misleading and fabricated.' The conglomerate stated it has no project — proposed or ongoing — in the area or its vicinity.
The Denial and What Was Claimed
A company spokesperson, in a statement posted on X, categorically refuted the viral videos. 'The group has no project, proposed or ongoing, in the area or its vicinity, and is in no way associated with the activities depicted in the circulating videos,' the spokesperson said.
The statement urged the public to exercise caution before amplifying unverified content. 'We strongly urge everyone to verify facts and refrain from sharing false and unverified content,' the spokesperson added. The group did not identify the original source of the videos or name the individuals responsible for spreading them.
Context: Adani's Environmental Record Under Scrutiny
The denial comes amid heightened public sensitivity around deforestation near ecologically and religiously significant sites in India. The Bhimashankar Temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, sits within a biodiversity-rich wildlife sanctuary in Pune district — making any alleged tree-felling in its vicinity a particularly charged issue on social media.
Notably, the Adani Group has previously faced criticism from environmental groups over its mining operations in central India, which lends some context to why such claims found traction online, even without verification.
Adani's Afforestation Efforts at PEKB Mine
In what appears to be a broader effort to address environmental optics, the group simultaneously highlighted its green initiatives. Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) has reportedly planted more than 1.6 million trees and saplings across 568 hectares at the Parsa East and Kanta Basan (PEKB) mine in Chhattisgarh's Surguja district, transforming formerly mined land into a green landscape.
According to company officials, 40 trees are planted for every tree removed for mining activities. Native species — including Sal, Mahua, Tendu, Amaltas and Sidha — have been replanted, with a reported survival rate of approximately 88 per cent. AEL operates the mine as developer and operator for Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd (RVUNL).
Scale of Compensatory Afforestation
According to officials, the group has undertaken compensatory afforestation across more than 4,000 hectares spanning the Surguja, Korea, Balrampur and Surajpur forest divisions in Chhattisgarh. Over ₹259 crore has been deposited with the Chhattisgarh government towards afforestation, wildlife management, and other environmental measures.
The company has also developed a 3.5-hectare nursery housing approximately 5,00,000 saplings and claims successful regeneration of Sal forests in the PEKB area. It aims to increase total green cover at the site to more than 4 million trees by the end of the decade.
What Happens Next
Independent verification of the viral videos' origins has not been publicly reported. With social media misinformation around corporate and environmental issues increasingly common, this episode is likely to renew calls for faster fact-checking mechanisms — and for companies to respond to such claims with greater transparency about the actual source of the footage.
Point of View
Pivot, and counter with green credentials. But the episode exposes a deeper vulnerability: in India's polarised information environment, viral videos linking a large conglomerate to environmental harm near a revered Jyotirlinga site will always outpace a corporate press statement, regardless of accuracy. The simultaneous highlighting of PEKB afforestation data is clearly intended to reframe the narrative, yet it addresses a different geography entirely. What's missing is any indication that authorities — Maharashtra's forest department or Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary management — have been asked to verify or publicly address the videos, which would carry far more credibility than a self-issued denial.
NationPress
25 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Adani Group say about the Bhimashankar Temple tree felling claims?
Adani Group called the viral videos 'false, misleading and fabricated,' stating it has no project — proposed or ongoing — near the Bhimashankar Temple in Pune district. The denial was issued via a statement posted on X on 25 October 2026.
Where is Bhimashankar Temple and why is the controversy significant?
Bhimashankar Temple is one of India's twelve Jyotirlingas and is located within a biodiversity-rich wildlife sanctuary in Pune district, Maharashtra. Any alleged deforestation near a protected religious and ecological site attracts heightened public and environmental scrutiny.
What afforestation work has Adani Enterprises done at the PEKB mine?
Adani Enterprises Ltd has planted more than 1.6 million trees and saplings across 568 hectares at the Parsa East and Kanta Basan mine in Chhattisgarh's Surguja district, with a reported survival rate of about 88%. The company plants 40 trees for every tree removed for mining.
How much has Adani deposited with the Chhattisgarh government for environmental measures?
According to officials, over ₹259 crore has been deposited with the Chhattisgarh government towards afforestation, wildlife management, and other environmental measures, alongside compensatory afforestation across more than 4,000 hectares.
Have authorities verified the viral videos about tree felling near Bhimashankar?
No independent official verification of the videos' origins has been publicly reported as of 25 October 2026. The Adani Group's denial is self-issued; no statement from Maharashtra's forest department or Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary management has been cited.
