By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 17 Oct: Taking cognisance of reports published in local newspapers from some districts regarding illegal trading of Berberis Aristata tree parts (locally called Kilmora in Uttarakhand, Daru Haldi in Hindi and Daru Haridra in Sanskrit), Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal has ordered an inquiry regarding the allegations.
Forest Minister Uniyal has ordered an investigation on the illegal smuggling of Kilmora. It may also be recalled that, earlier, Uniyal had banned trading of Kilmora. This decision had been opposed by Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi, who had been demanding lifting the ban on trading of Kilmora.
Today, however, Joshi has welcomed the decision of an inquiry so that action can be taken against the guilty.
Roots of Kilmora (Berberis Aristata) tree are widely used for medicinal purposes in Ayurveda. They are used for treatment of stomach problems, liver problems, jaundice, diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, high fever and are also used in treatment of cancer in Ayurveda. Besides the roots, which are yellow like turmeric in colour, even the berries of this tree have similar medicinal properties. Oil and powder extract of the plant is used in many classical Ayurvedic formulations. The roots of this tree sell at Rs 60 to Rs 100 per kg while the oil sells at Rs 800 per kg in the wholesale herbal markets. This has led to wide scale smuggling of the parts of the tree and this has led to the species becoming endangered in the state’s forests. This forced Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal to order a complete ban on transportation and trade of this tree some weeks ago. This tree grows at altitude of over 5,000 feet. Following this, Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi had directed the Herbal Research & Development Institute (HRDI) Gopeshwar, to lift the ban. Actually, Kilmora is present in large quantities in the forests of Uttarakhand and there have been reports of its being smuggled from here.
Two ministers came face to face: The matter became controversial when about a week after Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal had banned the transportation of this vegetable, Minister Ganesh Joshi gave instructions to the Herbal Research and Development Institute to lift the ban.
There have been some media reports of smuggling of the tree parts in Uttarkashi district. Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal has ordered an investigation into the matter. Not only this, Uniyal also raised this issue of illegal smuggling of this species before Governor Lt General Gurmit Singh (Retd), also, and had sought cooperation from Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi in preventing smuggling of the herb.
Speaking to Garhwal Post, Uniyal apprehended that behind the smuggling of this tree species, large scale corruption may be prevalent at the local level in the forest department and, therefore, he has ordered an investigation by senior forest officers. It may be recalled that local newspapers in their reports had levelled involvement of local forest officials behind the smuggling of the roots of the Kilmora tree.
