Ramesh: Inami Bagh to be a heritage site

This will be the first national biodiversity heritage site of Punjab.

The Punjab Biodiversity Board has been told to send the final proposal to his ministry,said Jairam,adding: “I was surprised to know that the state has so many varieties of mangoes.”

With over 165 trees and about 37 rare native varieties — some represented by only one tree — over 100-year-old Inami Bagh is a slice of heritage tucked away in the nondescript Bassi Umar Khan village in the ecologically-fragile Kandi area.

The Indian Express was first to highlight the rich biodiversity of the ten-acre orchard,owned by NRI brothers Jarnail Singh and Sohan Singh,which needed a sound conservation plan.

On June 2,IE reported that from ber amb (18 gram) — of the size of a ber or ziziphus — to chhalli jogiyan (380 g),which is the size of a corn cob that gives a glassful of juice when ripe,the varieties in the orchard are mind-boggling. The orchard also boasts of pencil amb,a slender fruit. Apart from the size,many are known for their fragrance. While Sofian amb has the fragrance of saunf (fennel),lachia smells of cardamom. Many are known for their shapes — arru amb looks like a peach while anda amb resembles an egg.

The Punjab Biodiversity Board has also planned to constitute a biodiversity management committee,comprising local stakeholders,to preserve the Inami Bagh,which derived its name from an award it received in the days of the Raj for its unique taste of mangoes.

Underlining the need to save rich biodiversity of the country,Ramesh said he was pained to see US taking patents for turmeric and neem. To stop biopiracy,he said,the Government of India has prepared a database — Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) — at a cost of Rs 10 crore. “TKDL is a treasure trove of information on Indian traditional medicinal methods like Ayurveda,Unani,Sidhha and Yoga,” the minister said.

He said they had started biodiversity registers,which would be maintained by the communities. “Most of the traditional Indian knowledge is passed on orally from one generation to the other. But now,biodiversity registers will document the rich heritage of the country,and also save the interests of the community,” he added.

P L Gautam,Chairman,National Biodiversity Authority,said declaration of biodiversity sites preserved for ages was a must. He said this could be done by forming management committees involving locals and strict implementation of the Biodiversity Act.