Will ayurveda’ paradise be lost for ever?

[Guest guest]

Will this `ayurveda' paradise be lost for ever?

 

GANDHAMARDAN: Abundant in medicinal plant and also called `Ayurveda

paradise', Gandhamardan hills have a rich growth of rare medicinal

plants that are slowly vanishing.

 

Rich in bauxite, 15 years ago, it was a centre of peoples' struggle

to conserve forest and livelihood. A five-year sustained battle

finally saw Balco wind up its operation to mine 210 million tonne of

bauxite.

 

But the victory looks short-lived as the fragile ecology is

threatened and this time from gullible tribals and herb smugglers.

Considered India's richest bio-diversity reserve of medicinal plants,

the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) reported the existence of 220

plant species of medicinal value.

 

Another study in 1963 by BSI recorded 2700 angiosperms and 125

species of medicinal plants, though locals claim there are more than

500 species. A study conducted by H.O.Saxena and M.Brahma of Regional

Research Laboratory recorded nearly 200 species of medicinal use, 77

of which are new and interesting.

 

Experts fear that in the next 30 years, this knowledge and

information could be lost. The mainstay of villagers near here is

collection and supply of herbs to unidentified traders from outsiders

who have scant regard for the ecology.

 

For Dhananjay Bhoi of Manhang village, which was the first village to

oppose Balco, it is now a fight for survival. And Bhoi is not alone.

Pradeep Purohit, the fire-brand youth who led the movement against

Balco and heads Gandhamardan Suraksha Yuba Parishad

echoes, ``Majority of the people around here are landless. While some

of them migrate when drought stalks the area, others depend on the

forest throughout the year.''

 

Besides, recurrent droughts, felling of trees and faulty methods of

harvesting medicinal plants have already taken toll on Gandhamardan.

This apart, due to its abundant water resources, in winter nomadic

communities from Rajasthan drive thousands of goats, sheep and camels

to Gandhamardan for grazing, thereby causing harm to its ecology.

 

Although Purohit has been drawing the attention of forest officials

and the issue even came up for discussion in the State Assembly,

little has been done to prevent further damage. What is worrying the

locals here, is the threat of organised smuggling of medicinal plants

which cause severe damage to the species, thereby preventing further

growth, says Purohit.

 

Former Sambalpur MP and State Samata Party president B.S.Hota who has

studied the bio-diversity of Gandhamardan admits that there has been

little or no efforts to conserve the medicinal wealth. He disclosed

that he has written to the Chief Minister drawing his attention to

the potential of Gandhamardan and its impacts on livelihood of the

tribals.

 

There is a swing all over the world towards natural herbal products

and Planning Commission has set target to raise the present export to

Rs.3000 crore from Rs.400 crore and further upto Rs. 10,000 crore by

2010. In order to make this a success, the grassroot reality must

change, at least in areas like Gandhamardan where the trade is still

in unsafe hands. It will continue to be so if the primary collectors

do not get the right price for their products and are not organised.

 

The local people who are the best guardians of the forest and

understand the local ecological conditions should be educated on

ecological and market value of the medicinal plants. More organised

efforts leading to value-added marketing will enhance the income of

the local people and this will in turn have positive impact on the

biodiversity housing these plants, believe experts.

 

Chairman of Natural Remedies Private Limited, Bangalore R.K.Agrawal

who is involved in trading medicinal plants for last four decades

opines, ``Primary collectors are ignorant about the quality standards

of medicinal plants required either for local industries or the

export market''. He informed that while `Harida' collected from

Orissa in huge quantity fetches Rs.3 per kg in Chhattisgarh market,

the quality required by the industries is priced at Rs.12 per kg.

 

``If the primary collectors can achieve the quality with proper

training and value-addition, it will fetch good price which will have

a bearing on their livelihood,''he said. And now that the State

Government has come out with a policy that will include medicinal

plants among NTFPs, there is an urgent need to set standards and

streamline efforts.