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On December 18, 2024, the Supreme Court directed Rajasthan’s Forest Department to map and classify all sacred groves as ‘forests’ and notify them as ‘community reserves’ under the Wildlife Protection Act (WLPA), 1972.
Sacred groves, or ‘orans’, in Rajasthan number around 25,000 and cover approximately six lakh hectares.
The court’s decision would shift the conservation of sacred groves from community management to Forest Department control.
This move conflicts with the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, which grants community governance over forest lands.
What Was the Case About?
The Supreme Court’s interpretation of ‘forest land’ includes any land recorded as forest in government records, regardless of ownership.
In 2004, the Rajasthan government report only classified large sacred groves meeting certain criteria as ‘forests’.
The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) disagreed with this and recommended that all sacred groves be classified as ‘forest land’.
In 2018, the Supreme Court agreed with the CEC and directed Rajasthan to implement these recommendations.
In 2024, the Rajasthan government started identifying sacred groves as ‘forest lands,’ but the new Rajasthan Forest Policy 2023 excluded protection for them, leading to a challenge in court.
What Do Sacred Groves Mean to Communities?
Sacred groves are community-managed forests, created and conserved by local traditions.
They are protected through customary laws and taboos, often prohibiting resource extraction, except for medicinal plants.
Sacred groves hold cultural and ecological significance, often associated with religious sites, temples, and shrines.
They support unique flora and fauna, and some are sources of perennial streams.
Sacred groves help prevent soil erosion, mitigate natural disasters like floods and landslides, and support community well-being.
India has between 1-10 lakh sacred groves, the highest number in the world.
What Are Community Reserves?
The WLPA introduced ‘community reserves’ as protected areas over community or private land.
Community reserves are created where locals voluntarily conserve wildlife and habitats.
Locals must prevent offenses such as setting fires, harming wildlife, or using harmful chemicals in community reserves.
Any land-use changes in a community reserve require approval from the reserve management committee and the state government.
Management committees include local representatives and government officials, with an Honorary Wildlife Warden overseeing the reserve.
Forest Department’s Clash with the FRA’s Provisions
According to the FRA, sacred groves fall under 'community forest resources' and are governed by local gram sabhas.
The FRA’s provisions conflict with the Forest Department’s control over sacred groves as community reserves.
Under the FRA, the gram sabhas have the authority to conserve sacred groves, while the Forest Department would oversee their conservation under the WLPA.
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