Forest department: Medicinal Plants Garden at 5 locations in DK

Team Udayavani, Oct 18, 2018, 11:51 AM IST

Mangaluru: The Forest Department which was giving more importance to planting banyan trees along the road sides has now come forward to create 5 fully equipped Medicinal plants garden at various locations in Dakshina Kannada (DK) district under its Social Forestry Scheme.

The Social Forestry Department is establishing the Medicinal Plants Garden plan with the participation of the public, organizations-institutions, government departments’ and schools. The aim of the plan is to conserve medicinal and herbal plants and to spread awareness on their importance.

A systematic and attractive medicinal plants garden has been created at the 2.5 acre expanse on the premises of Ayush Hospital at Balkunje and will be inaugurated soon. The medicinal plants garden will also be created at the 2 acre land on the premises of the government pre-university college at Belthangady and at Golithottu and Bellare in an area of 60 cents each.

In order to bring down the financial burden of creating the medicinal plants garden, the department will make use of the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee scheme. The labour costs of digging the holes and the planting of saplings will be borne through this scheme. In the backdrop of not having grown medicinal plants saplings at the Social Forestry Department’s nursery, the same will be procured from Pilikula Nisargadhama.

Action to enhance beauty

In order to make the garden attractive, a statue of Dhanvantari is being created. The garden is also has other statues, benches and other installments.

Medicinal saplings

There are more than 40 different sapling species at the medicinal plants garden at Balkunje. Of the many species of medicinal saplings here include wild coriander, Sabja seed plant, wild custard apple, wild banana (with seeds), Rama Tulsi, Nellikai, Hibiscus, Indian Blackberry, Kokum and many others.

Benefits

The medicinal plants garden will help in the conservation of important medicinal plants which are facing the threat of extinction. It will also help in spreading the knowledge on medicinal plants amongst the people, especially the students. The garden will help students doing research in Ayurveda and also has many other benefits.

To begin soon

Currently in DK, work is in progress for the establishment of medicinal plants garden at Balkunje in Mangaluru taluk, Golithottu in Puttur, Bellare in Sullia taluk and at Nada in Belthangady. The work on the medicinal plants garden at Anantadi in Bantwal will be initiated soon.

Scheme for 5 locations

“The Department has decided to give importance to the creation of medicinal plants garden under the social forestry scheme. 5 medicinal plants gardens are being created in DK district. There is an aim to create even more medicinal plants gardens in the future,” said J Shrinivasa Murthy, Deputy Conservator of Forests. Social Forestry Scheme

Article by Keshava Kunder translated into English by Aaron Dmello