Srinagar, June 19: As some unscrupulous elements have been looting green gold, Anantnag Forest Division has seized a vehicle illegally carrying medicinal plants.
An official said on a tip of information received from a reliable source DFO Anantnag, Feroz Ahmad Chaket along with his special team laid a Naka at Panchalthal Kuthar.
“A vehicle carrying 49 kgs of illicit MPF was intercepted by the Naka team and was seized on the spot. Investigation has been taken up for further course of action,” the official said.
This is the third time in the last fifteen days when Anantnag Forest Division has seized three vehicles and a huge quantity of illegally transported medicinal plants.
Meanwhile, Chief Conservator of Forests and Conservator South has lauded officials of Anantnag Forest Division for this action.
Kashmir is a rich repository of medicinal plants, which are used in aromatherapy, cosmetics and medical treatments. There are 571 different kinds of medicinal plants available in Jammu and Kashmir, out of which some are high-end plants having high commercial value. The demand of these plants from European countries, China, Japan and other nations has turned Kashmir into a hotspot for smugglers.
Several medicinal and aromatic plant species are on the verge of extinction in the state. Trillium, which was earlier a lesser-known medicinal plant in trade, has gained popularity in commercial utilisation these days. It is one of the most sought after medicinal species in the western Himalayan region.
The underground part of the plant, rhizome, is a key material used in the preparation of steroids.
“These medicinal plants are being exported in trucks laden with fruits to Chandigarh from where it is being supplied to various parts,” a source said.
Artemisia (Wormwood), which is locally known as Tethwan, is another medicinal plant which has a huge international value. Other medicinal plants smuggled from Kashmir include Kutki, the dried rhizome with the root of Picrorhizakurrooa. It is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine.(KINS)
