The Haryana Forest Department has launched a statewide sacred grove mapping exercise to identify, document and digitally record ecologically and culturally significant forest patches across the state, officials said on Saturday. The initiative is aimed at building a comprehensive digital database of these traditionally protected natural sites to support conservation planning, biodiversity protection and land-use management.
According to officials, the exercise will be carried out across multiple districts, including Gurugram and other parts of Haryana, where field teams have begun working with local communities to locate sacred groves. These groves are small forest patches that have been preserved over generations due to religious beliefs and cultural traditions, often dedicated to local deities and protected through community practices rather than formal legal frameworks.
The forest department said the drive will create a digitally mapped inventory of sacred groves, capturing details such as geographic location, area, vegetation profile, and cultural significance. Officials added that the data will be integrated into state environmental planning systems to strengthen conservation decision-making and improve monitoring of ecologically sensitive areas.
Sacred groves are widely recognised as important micro-ecosystems that support biodiversity, often serving as refuges for native plant species, birds, insects, and small mammals. Environmental experts note that these areas also contribute to soil conservation, groundwater recharge, and local climate stability, particularly in regions facing rapid urbanisation and shrinking green cover.
The initiative comes at a time when Haryana, especially the Gurugram–Aravalli region, is under increasing environmental pressure due to infrastructure growth, land-use change and expanding urban settlements. In recent years, environmental concerns have been raised over the degradation of forest patches and fragmentation of natural habitats in these ecologically sensitive zones.
Officials said one of the key objectives of the mapping exercise is to address the issue of unrecorded sacred groves, many of which exist only in oral traditions and community memory. By formally documenting these sites, the government aims to ensure they are recognised in official records and considered in future development and conservation planning.
The forest department also said that once identified, sacred groves may be evaluated for enhanced protection measures, depending on their ecological importance and vulnerability. Sites showing signs of degradation or encroachment could be prioritised for restoration or protective interventions.
Community participation has been identified as a central component of the exercise. Officials said many sacred groves continue to be managed through informal traditional systems of conservation, and local residents are being engaged to provide information about their location, history, and cultural relevance.
Academic studies indicate that Haryana contains a significant number of sacred groves, though many remain undocumented in official government records. Recent research in western Haryana alone has identified over 100 groves spread across multiple districts, highlighting their ecological and cultural importance.
Officials said the data collected during the survey will be compiled into a detailed report after field verification. The findings are expected to support future policy decisions related to forest conservation, land-use regulation, biodiversity protection, and integration of traditional ecological knowledge into environmental governance.
The initiative is part of the state’s broader efforts to strengthen green cover monitoring and promote community-linked conservation models in ecologically sensitive landscapes.
