INDIA'S HIGHEST HERBAL PARK

In this article we are going to see about India's highest herbal park...

 

It was located near Indo-china border in Uttarakhand

The park has been developed in three years under central government's Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) scheme

• The highest altitude herbal park of India, situated at a height of 11,000 feet, was inaugurated at Mana village close to the Indo-China border in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Saturday.

• "The main aim of this high altitude herbal park is to conserve various medicinally and culturally important alpine species and to do research on their propagation and habitat ecology," Sanjiv Chaturvedi, the chief conservator of forests (research), was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

• The park has been developed on an area of three acres given by Mana Van Panchayat by the Research Wing of Uttarakhand Forest Department.

• It has been developed in three years under central government's Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) scheme.

• The herbal park has around 40 species found in high altitude alpine areas in the Indian Himalayan region. 

• Many of these species are endangered and threatened as per International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list as well as by the State Biodiversity Board. 

• It includes many important medicinal herbs also.

• The park has been divided into four sections. 

• The first section contains species associated with Badrinath (lord Vishnu), which includes Badri Tulsi, Badri Ber, Badri Tree, and sacred tree of Bhojpatra. Badri Tulsi, which is scientifically named as Origanum Vulgare, is found in this area and forms important part of offering to lord Badrinath. Various researches have established its multiple medicinal benefits.

• Badri Ber, which is scientifically known as Hippophae Salicifolia, and locally called as Amaesh, is another nutrition-rich fruit and used widely, Chaturvedi said.

• The second section is dedicated to Ashtavarga species which is a group of eight herbs found in the Himalayan region namely Riddhi (Habenaria Intermedia), Vriddhi (Habenaria Edgeworthii), Jeevak (Malaxis Acuminata), Rishbhak (Malaxis Muscifera), Kakoli (Fritillaria Roylei), Ksheer Kakoli (Lilium Polyphyllum), Maida (Ploygonatum Cirrhifolium), and Maha Maida (Polygonatum Verticillatum), which are the most important ingredients of Chyawanprash, he said.

• The third section consists of Saussurea species and includes Brahmakamal (Saussurea Obvallata) which also happens to be the state flower of Uttarakhand. Other Saussurea species at the park are Phemkamal (Saussurea Simpsoniana), Nilkamal (Saussurea Graminifolia) and Koot (Saussurea Costus), the official said.

• The fourth section consists of assorted alpine species including Ateesh, Meethavish, Vankakdi, and Choru, all of which are important medicinal herbs and are in great demand, he said.

• Besides, trees of Thuner (Taxus Wallichiana), whose bark is used in making cancer drugs, Tansen and Maple trees have also been grown in the park, Chaturvedi said.

• The inauguration of the park was done by the Sarpanch of Mana Van Panchayat.