An oran is large area of land in a desert that supports multiple species of animals through natural resources such as water and trees. One such area in Rajasthan, named after local deity Degray Mata, has been under contention since 1999. According to Parth Jagani, a history enthusiast, King Vikramdev had donated this land, spanning 15,180 hectares (60,000 bigha) around the Degray Mata Mandir as oran in 1419. But the land records of the state government list only 24,000 bighas as oran.
When the land was measured after independence, the land was listed as farmland, but the village residents did not think it to be a cause of concern then. It was when a private solar power company started its project here and started felling trees in 1999, we looked at the land records and found the root of the problem," Durjan Singh, secretary of Oran Bachao Samiti and Degray Mandir Trust, told the media.
According to a Supreme Court judgement of 2018, orans in the state are to be classified as deemed forests and cannot be used for any other purposes. The local populace believes that the government did not list the remaining 36,000 bighas as oran as it wanted to use the land to set up transmission lines, power grid stations and renewable energy plants, which have increasingly come up in the region over the years.
The Oran Development Institute and the Ecology Rural Development and Sustainability Foundation** **had filed a petition in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2020. It argued that the disputed oran is home to the endangered Great Indian Bustard and that the bird needs protection from hightension wires that have cropped up in the region. In addition, a large number of livestock depend on the _oran _for grazing.
We are already facing a reduction in the number of camels. What will the remaining camels eat if the pastures are not there? Sumer Singh Bhati, a local environmental activist, told the media. I have 400 camels, and in the 12 villages nearby, 5,000 camels and 30,000 sheep are dependent on the oran. If it is not spared, there would be no place for our camels to graze, he added.
The petitioners had organised several protests in which the residents of the area participated. They informed the district magistrate about the problems they would face if the _oran _is not saved. The case is pending with the NGT. The Tribunal has given an interim order to the Power Grid Corporation of India (POWERGRID) to stop laying more power cables in the region. It also referred to a Supreme Court order of April 2021, in which the apex court asked companies to lay underground wires for the safety of birds and animals, and a committee regarding the same was formed. However, the petitioners have argued that POWERGRID has not paid heed to the court order or considered the recommendations of the committee. They have demanded that the entire land area of 60,000 bighas be listed in the government records as oran to ensure its conservation.
"Our _oran _is several hundred years old, and we are constantly struggling to save it. Our sole request to the government is to protect it. It houses a lot of wild animals, vegetation and ponds. This is the centre of our faith, Girdhar Singh, the priest of the Degray Mata temple was quoted in the media.
LCW reached out to the DFO, Desert National Park, Jaisalmer, and Stanley Mathews, chief general manager, POWERGRID, but did not get any response.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources
Opposition against environmental degradation
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for the entire land area to be registered in land records as a sacred grove.
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common
Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Other, Case Laws, Environmental Laws
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Land record discrepancies
Violation of environmental laws
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Pending
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Yes
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Supreme Court
Case Number
Original Application No. 90/2020
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Forest Department
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Power Grid Corporation of India
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Yes
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Kuber is a second-year student of Political Science and Economics at St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi, with interests in public policy, rural development, political analysis and organisation management. He is currently interning with the Observer Research Foundation. In the past, he has worked with Transform Rural India Foundation (an initiative of Tata Trusts) and India Development Review, learning research, data and organisation management.
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