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Synopsis

The Supreme Court has commended the community-driven conservation efforts of the Piplantri model, created in a small village in Rajasthan’s Rajsamand district.

This initiative was started after the tragic death of a girl child of Shri Shyam Sundar Paliwal, the Sarpanch of the village to counter issues of environmental damage due to excessive marble mining, which led to water shortages, deforestation, and economic decline.

The community led by its visionary Sarpanch Shri Shyam Sundar Paliwal introduced a practice of planting 111 trees for every girl born which transformed the damaged environment not only of the village but also of the nearby areas. This phenomenal effort also gave positive impetus to the efforts for reducing societal biases against women.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai, Sandeep Mehta and SVN Bhatti has noted that the modes shows how environmental protection, gender equality, and economic growth can work together to change communities.

Top court has noted the positive effects of the initiative:

• Environmentally, over 40 lakh trees have been planted, which has helped raise the water table by 800-900 feet and cooled the climate by 3-4°C. These efforts have improved local biodiversity and protected the land from soil erosion and desertification.
• Economically, the planting of indigenous species of trees like gooseberry, aloe vera, and bamboo has created sustainable jobs. Aloe vera processing, furniture making, and other businesses have increased local incomes, providing work, especially for women, through self-help groups.
• Socially, the model has helped eliminate harmful practices like female foeticide. The village now has a rare distinction of a higher female population ratio i.e. 52% and ensures that all girls receive education. Financial support through the "Kiran Nidhi Yojna" has empowered girls and their families, creating a community that celebrates and rejoices on the birth of a girl child rather than resenting it.

Court has further noted that active measures are required at the Governmental level to ensure that such ideas are implemented/replicated in other parts of the country to promote sustainable development and gender equality. The Central and State Governments should support these models by providing financial assistance, creating enabling policies, and offering technical guidance to communities, it has said.