The Meghalaya Forest Department has mapped and inventorised 64 Sacred Groves in the state as the department has come in the form of publication ‘Forest Inventory of Sacred Groves in Meghalaya (Volume III)’ which was on Wednesday released by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. Further, this publication recommended the notification of sacred groves as Community Reserve.
The state forest department has requested the Centre to declare the sacred groves as community reserves and has requested assistance of Rs 24.74 crore for conservation and to enhance the resilience of sacred groves to climate change.
“To ensure conservation and to enhance resilience of sacred groves to climate change a proposal has been submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India for a financial assistant of Rs. 24.74 crore under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC),” A report on Forest Inventory of Sacred Groves in Meghalaya (Volume –III) said.
The report said, “Notification of these sacred grove areas as a Community Reserve will accord legal recognition and protection. It will also make them eligible to receive financial assistance under a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats.”
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Working Plan, Research & Training and District Council, Meghalaya, Harish C Chaudhary on Wednesday said the department have inventorised and brought out the publication about 64 sacred groves in the state, the field work of another 48 Sacred Groves already done the field work and in the next two months publication will be out.
He further said another 69 we have identified for which we will be doing the field work this year.
“Field survey of additional 48 sacred groves located in Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills region was carried out during 2023-24. Volume-IV and Volume-V of this Publication covering these 48 sacred groves are currently under preparation. The same will be ready for release soon. Forest Resources Survey Division has also identified additional 69 sacred groves located in Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills region for mapping and inventory during 2024-25,” A report on Forest Inventory of Sacred Groves in Meghalaya (Volume –III) stated.
Meanwhile, assuring to extend further support, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said, “The different aspects of the research that is done in the sacred Groves also will allow the state Government to study the different aspects of the sacred groves and be able to assess and also to see the future course of action in, in that area”