Supreme Court directed the Union government to create a comprehensive policy for the protection of sacred groves across the country

Supreme Court directed the Union government to create a comprehensive policy for the protection of sacred groves across the country. The judgment was inspired from the Piplantri Model created in a Piplantri village in Raasthan’s Rajsamand district.

Sacred Groves

• Sacred Groves are the tracts of virgin forests that are left untouched by the local inhabitants and are protected by the local people due to their culture and religious beliefs. Sacred groves are relic vegetation of once dominant flora.
• Sacred Groves in India: Over 1 million sacred forests and 100,000 to 150,000 sacred groves exist across India.
• It is prominent in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand.
• Statutory Provision: Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 empowers State governments for declaration of any private or community land, as a community reserve, under which sacred groves can be declared as community reserves. National Forest Policy, 1988, backed by the Godavarman Case, 1996, encouraged communities with customary rights to protect and improve these forest patches on which they depend for their needs. 
• Cultural Significance: It is integral to Hindu beliefs, promoting coexistence and reverence for nature.
• Role in Conservation: Practices like tree worship and strict prohibitions on logging and hunting align with biodiversity principles. Serve as refuges for diverse flora and fauna and maintain clean water ecosystems.They are examples of Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs).

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