Supreme Court Issues Directions To Protect 'Sacred Groves', Lauds Rajasthan's Piplantri Village Initiative To Plant 111 Trees For Every Girl Child Born

While pronouncing judgment on an application in the TN Godavarman case, the Supreme Court today lauded Rajasthan's Piplantri village for its initiative to plant 111 trees for every girl child born.A bench of Justices BR Gavai, SVN Bhatti and Sandeep Mehta, conveying its appreciation for the initiative, which was led by the village's "visionary" Sarpanch Shyam Sunder Paliwal, said,"This. While pronouncing judgment on an application in the TN Godavarman case, the Supreme Court today lauded Rajasthan's Piplantri village for its initiative to plant 111 trees for every girl child born. A bench of Justices BR Gavai, SVN Bhatti and Sandeep Mehta, conveying its appreciation for the initiative, which was led by the village's "visionary" Sarpanch Shyam Sunder Paliwal, said, "This initiative transformed environmental damage not only of the village but also of nearby areas. The judgment also included the following suggestions: Rajasthan government should identify traditional communities that have historically protected sacred groves and designate these areas as community forest resource under Section 2 of Forest Rights Act; The traditional communities have shown a strong cultural and ecological commitment to conservation and their role as custodians should be formally recognized.