7 sacred groves in Thar to get heritage tag

BARMER: The state government has initiated the process to declare the seven sacred groves, locally known as ‘Oran’, in Thar Desert as the heritage sites under Rajasthan Biological Diversity Rules, 2010.

Priya Ranjan, member secretary at Rajasthan Biological Diversity Board, has recently written to the chief forest conservator of Jodhpur to provide required information so that these seven sites will be declared as heritage sites.

The initiative has been taken after an environmentalist and state director at Nehru Yuva Kendra Sanghthan Bhuvnesh Jain drew the attention of the state government to the importance of Oran in biodiversity conservation. In January this year, Jain had written to the chief minister while demanding to declare seven Orans of Thar Desert as heritage sites.

Taking note on Jain’s letter recently on February 10, the CMO has directed the principal secretary, environment department, for the necessary action.

On February 11, the principal secretary wrote to Priya Ranjan. On February 16, Ranjan wrote to the chief forest conservator or Jodhpur to provide required information for declaring seven Oran of Thar Desert as heritage sites.

Explaining the importance of Oran, Jain said, “Years back the native of Thar Desert have developed a system of traditional natural resource management by maintaining Orans. In old times people reserved some land near the community area and later developed natural or manmade jungles on it, which are called Orans.”