News
Thursday, July 15, 2010
‘Pak, India should grow Sea-buckthorn to avoid erosion’By Iftikhar Gilani
NEW DELHI: An Indian minister called for cooperating with Pakistan in cultivating 'Sea-buckthorn', a deciduous shrub found in the cold mountainous regions of Ladakh, Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) and Gilgit-Baltistan, useful for prevention of soil erosion as well as for food and medicinal values.
Launching a national mission on Sea-buckthorn in Ladakh on Wednesday, Indian Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh announced increasing the area of cultivation to 50,000 hectares by 2020 , and vowed to invest more funds in its research.
He called for cooperating with Pakistan, China and Russia in order to promote the shrub.
Apart from the traditional and medicinal uses, India's Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) has found it an ideal diet for its troops confronting extremely low temperatures in Siachen and other places.
It has established a factory in Leh to manufacture a multi-vitamin herbal beverage based on the shrub. Apart from being nourishing, the beverage has a freezing point of -22 degrees Celsius allowing it to remain liquid in sub-zero temperatures.
"Indian govt recognises the potential of Sea-buckthorn in combating global warming, environmental conservation of the high altitude areas of Himalayan region, and for healthcare and poverty alleviation," Ramesh said.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk