Oran Lands Classified as Forests

• 29 May 2025

Why in News? 

The Rajasthan government has initiated the process of classifying the community-protected ‘Oran’ lands as forests. Following this, these sacred groves will be officially notified as “community reserves” under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Key Points 

• About Oran Lands: 
  • ‘Orans’ are sacred forest patches in Rajasthan, traditionally protected and managed by rural communities. 
  • These groves are dedicated to local deities as part of a deep-rooted socio-religious tradition. 
  • Rajasthan is home to nearly 25,000 Oran sites, collectively covering over 6 lakh hectares across the desert landscape. 
    • In Rajasthan, orans are also called– deora, malvan, deorai, rakhat bani, deo ghats, mandir van and baugh. 
  • Orans also hosts a significant number of Khejri trees (Prosopis spicigera), deer, blackbuck and nilgai which are also sacred to the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan. 
    • These communities living in these oran lands have historically played a pivotal role in protecting these forests from being cut down. 
  • These lands support grazing, provide forest produce, aid natural water filtration, and sustain livelihoods through livestock economy. 
• Related Supreme Court Judgement: 
  • In a landmark judgment delivered on 18 December 2024, the Supreme Court directed the State government to conduct a detailed mapping of the Oran lands. 
  • SC directed the State to implement the 2005 recommendations of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) for classifying ‘Orans’ as forests. 
  • However, the Rajasthan Forest Policy, 2023 classified ‘Orans’ as general community lands, a status considered inadequate for legal protection, leaving them vulnerable to encroachment and ecological degradation. 
    • The SC’s ruling addresses these gaps by strengthening legal safeguards through formal forest classification. 

Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 

• The Wild Life (Protection) Act, of 1972 provides a legal framework for the protection of various species of wild animals and plants, management of their habitats, regulation, and control of trade in wild animals, plants, and products made from them. 
• The act also lists schedules of plants and animals that are afforded varying degrees of protection and monitoring by the government. 

Central Empowered Committee (CEC) 

• About: 
  • The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) was originally constituted by the Supreme Court in 2002 and later reconstituted in 2008. 
  • It functioned as an ad hoc watchdog body to monitor environmental conservation and compliance with court directives and environmental laws. 
• Recent Reform:  
  • As per a 2023 notification by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the CEC is proposed to be converted into a permanent statutory body. 
  • This move aims to give the CEC institutional continuity and legal authority to handle key environmental issues on a long-term basis.