NEW DELHI: The Union Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has approved the conservation of over 15,000 “sacred groves” across the country under a new scheme called the “Aastha Van Sanrakshan Yojana”. A total of Rs 3,000 crore has been allocated for the next five years for this initiative.
Sacred groves, or “Aastha Vans”, are specific forest areas that local communities, particularly tribal groups, protect due to their spiritual and cultural significance. These locations are often considered sacred, and caring for them is an integral part of the community’s traditions and beliefs. Additionally, the groves also serve as sources of local rivulets and drinking water.
The decision was made during the 7th governing body meeting of the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management & Planning Authority (CAMPA) in Coimbatore, which was chaired by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.
The official stated, “The new scheme, with an initial corpus of `3,000 crore over five years (2026-27 to 2030-31), aims to conserve and restore nearly 15,000 sacred groves (Aastha Vans) across the country, alongside a new scheme for landscape restoration to combat land degradation and biodiversity loss, funded by the National Fund.”
On December 18, 2024, the Supreme Court directed the Centre to protect sacred groves in a case related to the sacred groves in Rajasthan. Local communities identify strongly with these groves, viewing them as integral to their identity, ecological wealth, and heritage.
The landmark Niyamgiri Hills case exemplified this movement; it involved a challenge against a state-backed mining operation by Vedanta, which sought to mine bauxite from the Hills. The Supreme Court ruled in favour of the indigenous Dongria Kondh tribe, recognising that mining would violate their right to worship.
The meeting also reviewed the overall performance of CAMPA and considered several new initiatives aimed at strengthening compensatory afforestation, forest conservation, and wildlife protection throughout the country. It examined the net present value and the progress of compensatory afforestation activities conducted by states and Union Territories (UTs), along with the status of CAMPA funds received, approved, and transferred during 2025-26.
Besides, it noted the certification audit of the annual accounts of the National Authority CAMPA for FY 2024-25, conducted by Comptroller and Auditor General. New wildlife and forestry conservation projects, recommended by executive committee of National CAMPA, were also approved.
These included studies on the Conservation and Recovery Action Plan for River Dolphins, Project Snow Leopard Phase-II, the Conservation Action Plan for the Indian Rhinoceros, and a pan-India conservation strategy for the wild water buffalo. Support for the conservation of Manipur’s brow-antlered deer (Sangai) was also approved.
“Under the Nagar Van Yojana, 652 nagar vans and vatikas have been developed with a fund allocation of Rs 571.50 crore, while Rs 7.28 crore has been released to the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education under the Green Credit Scheme to promote expansion of plantation-based green cover. The governing body encouraged states and UTs to further scale up these initiatives,” an official stated.