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Medicinal cure for ailing forest land

Dec. 21: The reserve forests of Nagaon and Morigaon will soon be redolent with the aroma of medicinal plants and herbs.
The state forest department will seek to cover 400 hectares of depleted forestland under a special programme, with financial assistance from the National Medicinal Plants Board.
A departmental source said the local division would be the forest development agency and five joint forest management committees would work under it.
Almost 150 hectares under the Kalapani joint forest management committee under Salona range, 80 hectares under the Modartoli committee in Kathiatoli range, 70 hectares under the Jagiroad Bon Unnayan Committee under Dharamtul range and 50 hectares each under Mejigaon committee in Salona range and Silchang committee in Dharamtul range were selected for the plantation programme.
The National Medicinal Plants Board, set up in November 2002 by the Centre, has the primary mandate regarding all matters relating to medicinal plants and support policies and programmes for growth of trade, export, conservation and cultivation.
The board comes under the department of ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, Unani, siddha and homoeopathy of the ministry of health and family welfare.
“We are continuing the preliminary work like field survey and demarcation and opening a central account in the name of the forest development agency. We hope the funds start flowing soon and we don’t have to wait long,” the source said.
“The board has identified nine species of medicinal and aromatic plants to be covered under the programme — agor, keturi, Gandhi kachu, ashoka, bos, pipoli, sarpagandha, bogitora and bhatghila. Of the nine, the first three have been selected for Nagaon and Morigaon,” said Nagaon divisional forest officer Aftab Uddin Ahmed.
Medicinal plants are not only a major resource base for the traditional medicine and herbal industry but also provide a livelihood for the people.
Ahmed said the forestland in Nagaon was suitable for agor cultivation.
Gandhi kachu, which is generally found in the jungles of Barak Valley, would be cultivated only on an experimental basis.
According to him, immediately after receiving financial assistance, a nursery would be put up at the Salona range from where plants would be distributed among the sister committees for plantation.
Nagaon deputy commissioner J. Balaji said another 440 hectares of the district outside the reserve forests would also be brought under two separate nationally sponsored programmes.
“Already 140 hectares under an agriculture department programme and 300 hectares under NREGA needs to be covered. We shall then go for planting ginger, citronella and patchouli. We plan to cover 5,000 hectares of land in the next five years and are discussing the opening of a federation-type district-level apex body to channelise markets for the future,” he said.
Dec. 21: The reserve forests of Nagaon and Morigaon will soon be redolent with the aroma of medicinal plants and herbs.
The state forest department will seek to cover 400 hectares of depleted forestland under a special programme, with financial assistance from the National Medicinal Plants Board.
A departmental source said the local division would be the forest development agency and five joint forest management committees would work under it.
Almost 150 hectares under the Kalapani joint forest management committee under Salona range, 80 hectares under the Modartoli committee in Kathiatoli range, 70 hectares under the Jagiroad Bon Unnayan Committee under Dharamtul range and 50 hectares each under Mejigaon committee in Salona range and Silchang committee in Dharamtul range were selected for the plantation programme.
The National Medicinal Plants Board, set up in November 2002 by the Centre, has the primary mandate regarding all matters relating to medicinal plants and support policies and programmes for growth of trade, export, conservation and cultivation.
The board comes under the department of ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, Unani, siddha and homoeopathy of the ministry of health and family welfare.
“We are continuing the preliminary work like field survey and demarcation and opening a central account in the name of the forest development agency. We hope the funds start flowing soon and we don’t have to wait long,” the source said.
“The board has identified nine species of medicinal and aromatic plants to be covered under the programme — agor, keturi, Gandhi kachu, ashoka, bos, pipoli, sarpagandha, bogitora and bhatghila. Of the nine, the first three have been selected for Nagaon and Morigaon,” said Nagaon divisional forest officer Aftab Uddin Ahmed.
Medicinal plants are not only a major resource base for the traditional medicine and herbal industry but also provide a livelihood for the people.
Ahmed said the forestland in Nagaon was suitable for agor cultivation.
Gandhi kachu, which is generally found in the jungles of Barak Valley, would be cultivated only on an experimental basis.
According to him, immediately after receiving financial assistance, a nursery would be put up at the Salona range from where plants would be distributed among the sister committees for plantation.
Nagaon deputy commissioner J. Balaji said another 440 hectares of the district outside the reserve forests would also be brought under two separate nationally sponsored programmes.
“Already 140 hectares under an agriculture department programme and 300 hectares under NREGA needs to be covered. We shall then go for planting ginger, citronella and patchouli. We plan to cover 5,000 hectares of land in the next five years and are discussing the opening of a federation-type district-level apex body to channelise markets for the future,” he said.