Why is it in the news?
Communal tension in Kapena village, Odisha disrupted sacred grove practices.
Brings focus on conservation and governance status of sacred groves.
Category: Environment
Important Points:
● Sacred groves are community-protected forest patches
● Preserved due to religious and cultural beliefs
● India has ~1 million sacred forests and 100,000–150,000 sacred groves
● Found mainly in Western Ghats, Himalayas, Northeast, Central India
● Known locally as Sarna, Dev Van, Kavu, Devrai, Oran etc.
● Serve as biodiversity refuges
● Maintain high water quality and soil stability
● Logging and hunting strictly prohibited
● Recognised as Community Forest Resources under FRA 2006
● WLPA Community Reserve provision creates governance conflict with Gram Sabha