SIX-ACRE ORCHID CENTRE INAUGURATED IN CHAMOLI

The orchid has the same place in the plant kingdom as Tiger has in Animal Kingdom. Considering this, Uttarakhand Forest Department inaugurated the region’s first Orchid Centre in Mandal, Chamoli District today. It is spread over an area of around six acres. The Centre is currently presenting 70 different orchid species like Lady’s Sleeper Orchid that comes under threatened species. All the orchids fall under the protection of CITES (Convention on Trade in endangered species of wild flora and fauna) which means that their international trade requires prior permission. 

As per IFS Sanjiv Chaudhary, the Orchid centre has been prepared by the Research Wing of Uttarakhand Forest Department for two years. The centre has four parts — a conservation and demonstration area, a 1.25 km long orchid trail, an interpretation centre, and an orchid nursery. It is North India’s first such centre dedicated to exclusively orchid species. Presently, the centre has 70 different orchid species, mainly of which are medicinally and ecologically important. 

“Uttarakhand has around 250 recorded orchid species which represent terrestrial as well as epiphyte species. Mandal valley in the Chamoli district is particularly rich in orchid species, because of high rainfall and very rich vegetation cover. It has more than 50 recorded orchid species. 

The idea to have an orchid centre is to conserve orchid species as well as create venues for tourism and livelihood of local people,” says Chaudhary.  

While talking to The Daily Guardian, Chaudhary further says, “During last two years in this project we discovered six new orchid species in Mandal which were not reported earlier-Liparis pygmea, new for Western Himalaya, Cephalanthera erecta var. oblanceolata Habenaria stenopetala, Neottia listeroides, Oreorchis patens, Dendrobium chrysanthum, Calanthe alpine.” 

Hatha jadee, Jeevak, Riddhi, Vriddhi, Rishbhak, Salam Mishri, are some of the prominent medicinal orchid species found in Uttarakhand. 04 of 08 herbs forming Ashtavarga which is a basic ingredient of Chyavanprash, comes from Orchid species. However, orchids are very sensitive to ecological changes and thereby they are considered to be good indicators of the health of any ecosystem.