Madhya Pradesh State PCS

• 04 May 2024

Biodiversity Act 2002

Why in News?

The Madhya Pradesh high court ordered the state government to enforce the regulations of the Biodiversity Act 2002 following a petition regarding the unauthorized cutting down of Baobab trees in Dhar district.

Key Points

• It was highlighted by the amicus curiae (impartial adviser) of the court that the Biodiversity Act 2002 was not being enforced in Madhya Pradesh (MP).
• The committee was formed by the state govt after the MP high court took suo motu cognizance of media reports on the alleged illegal felling of Baobab trees and started hearing on the matter as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
• After taking the committee's report on record, the court asked the state govt to take a decision based on the committee’s recommendations within a week.

The Biological Diversity Act, 2002

• The act was enacted in 2002, it aims at the conservation of biological resources, managing its sustainable use and enabling fair and equitable sharing benefits arising out of the use and knowledge of biological resources with the local communities.

Baobab Trees

• Type of Trees: Baobabs are deciduous trees ranging in height from 5 to 20 meters.
  • Deciduous forest is a vegetation composed primarily of broad-leaved trees that shed all their leaves during one season.
• Found in: The African baobab (Adansonia digitata) is one of the nine species of baobab and is native to mainland Africa. They are also found in African Savannah.
  • The African savanna ecosystem is a tropical grassland with warm temperatures year-round and with its highest seasonal rainfall in the summer.
• Tree of Life: As African baobab is a succulent, which means that during the rainy season it absorbs and stores water in its vast trunk, enabling it to produce a nutrient-dense fruit in the dry season when all around is dry and arid.