Intelligence estimates suggest that nearly 1,300 to 1,400 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) may still be scattered across the region, particularly in areas where major recoveries of weapons and explosives were recently made. This may pose a major hindrance to private investment, say government officials.

Not just that. The issues that originally fuelled Naxalism also need to be addressed, say experts. “Tribal alienation, land disputes, unemployment, and uneven development continue to persist in several districts. Some tribal communities fear that rapid industrialisation could lead to displacement and environmental degradation without adequate safeguards,” Ashok Prasad, former Special Secretary, Internal Security, told The Secretariat.

Bastar’s Problem

Districts in Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra, which were earlier Maoist strongholds, are now witnessing a shift. For long considered no-go zones due to the insurgency, the government aims to bring in infrastructure and welfare schemes in these tribal belts.

The Bastar region of Chhattisgarh has emerged as a key example of the transition. But it also exemplifies the challenges that lie ahead. Over the years, Maoists have turned large parts of the area into a heavily mined zone by planting explosives along forest tracks, hilltops, and strategic routes. 

Security forces say in some hilltop locations, explosives have been buried at intervals of just 20 to 25 metres. 

Maoists systematically planted IEDs while retreating from their hideouts, not only to slow troop movement but also to maintain an atmosphere of fear and psychological control in the region, say intelligence officials.

The danger became tragically clear during recent de-mining operations in the Kanker-Narayanpur district border. Four security personnel lost their lives after an IED exploded while they were attempting to defuse it.

The threat is especially severe in the densely forested region of Abujhmad and the Kurraigutta hills, areas once considered among the most fortified Maoist strongholds in central India. Stretching nearly 50 kilometres, they reportedly house extensive arms dumps protected by layers of landmines and explosives, say officials.

Security officials say some IEDs remain virtually invisible even to standard metal detectors. 

Special bomb disposal squads, sniffer dogs, and advanced demining equipment are being deployed across affected regions, but the process remains slow and hazardous. 

The onset of monsoon is expected to further complicates operations. Rain softens the soil, sometimes exposing buried explosives but often shifting their positions, making them more unstable and unpredictable. Officials say that during heavy rainfall, even previously mapped explosive sites can become difficult to trace accurately.

Economic Inroads 

Areas that were previously inaccessible because of the Maoist presence will now be connected through highways, rural roads, and digital infrastructure. 

The transformation will not only be a security achievement, but also an economic one that is expected to open mineral-rich and agriculturally significant regions to markets, tourism, and public services, say officials.

During a visit to Chhattisgarh this week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the government would focus on delivering services directly to tribal communities in these former conflict zones. 

Security camps that once acted as anti-Naxal operational centres will be converted into public service hubs. Shah inaugurated a few of them during his two-day stay in the state.

According to a senior government official, road connectivity has become central to the development push, as better mobility infrastructure in a secure environment is a prerequisite for attracting investment.

Government-backed projects under the Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Affected Areas (RCPLWEA) and the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana are being expanded across remote districts. 

In Chhattisgarh alone, the Centre has approved ₹195 crore for rural roads and bridges in districts, including Dantewada, Bijapur, and Sukma.

“Improved roads will reduce travel time, increase access to healthcare and schools and encourage movement of agricultural and forest produce. Research on rural connectivity in India has also shown that all-weather roads can positively influence agricultural growth and rural prosperity, leading to the integration of locals with the mainstream developmental journey,” said the official.

The Raipur-Visakhapatnam Expressway is being constructed and is expected to improve logistics and trade by linking tribal districts with ports and industrial centres, the official said. 

Similarly, Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district is seeing new industrial and transport projects aimed at leveraging its mineral wealth. A proposed four-lane mineral highway is expected to strengthen industrial logistics and generate employment in tribal areas.

Social Infrastructure

State governments are also focusing on social infrastructure. 

Chhattisgarh’s “Bastar 2.0” initiative aims to expand schools, hostels, housing, and healthcare services in villages.

Security experts, however, say the ground-level implementation of several of social and infrastructure related schemes remains difficult, as contractors and workers face the threat of leftover explosives. 

In many remote forest areas, difficult terrain and poor administrative reach continues to slow project execution. Another concern is whether development benefits - in education, healthcare and drinking water access - are reaching local populations equally. 

Security experts warn that while violence has declined sharply, sustaining peace will require long-term employment generation, tribal participation in decision-making, and trust-building with local communities. 

As roads replace bunkers and telecom towers rise in forest interiors, analysts say equitable development is crucial. “Even as the Naxal heartlands are gradually being repositioned as future growth zones, only if the future transition delivers equitable development for tribal communities, the gains achieved so far can sustain for long-term and fructify,” Prasad said.

The government mounted a concerted security offensive against Maoists two years ago. It set March 31, 2026 as a deadline to end left-wing insurgency in India.

Last year the security forces conducted Operation Black Forest in the border areas of Chhattisgarh and Telangana. The crackdown also resulted in the seizure of a massive cache of weapons and explosives, including 35 modern firearms, 450 IEDs and 899 bundles of cordex wire used for triggering blasts.

Security forces uncovered and destroyed 52 underground dump sites, 152 bunkers, and 12 temporary hideouts that had long served as logistical hubs for Maoist cadres. 

But a vast network of buried explosives still exists across forested areas, continuing to endanger both security personnel and civilians while hindering development plans.

The challenge continues.