News Analysis India

Tag: Almora

  • India’s largest open air fernery developed in Uttarakhand’s Ranikhet

    By PTI

    DEHRADUN: The country’s largest open air fernery was inaugurated at Ranikhet in Uttarakhand’s Almora district on Sunday by well-known expert on ferns Nilambar Kunetha, an official said. The fernery has been developed by the research wing of Uttarakhand Forest Department over a period of three years under the Centre’s compensatory afforestation scheme CAMPA.

    It has a collection of 120 different types of fern with only Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI), Thiruvananthapuram having a larger number of fern species, Chief Conservator of Forest (Research) Sanjiv Chaturvedi said.

    However, it is the country’s largest open air fernery with completely natural surroundings, he said. It has been developed over four acres with Ranikhet providing an ideal location for an open air fernery.

    The fernery has been developed at an altitude of 1,800 metres in a shaded area with a seasonal pahadi nala passing through it, providing adequate moisture as ferns require shade and moisture to grow and propagate.

    It has a mix of species from the western and eastern Himalayan regions as well as from Western Ghats. It houses many rare species, prominent among which are Tree Fern (Cyathea spinulosa) which has been declared as “threatened” by State Biodiversity Board of Uttarakhand.

    Only a few plants of this species are left in the wild and is considered one of the most ancient species of fern. It is said that herbivore dinosaur used to feed on its trunk which is rich in starch. The fernery has around 30 species which have tremendous medicinal importance.

    The species include Hansraj (Adiantum venustum) which has been given importance in Ayurveda as well as in the Tibetan system of medicine as a cure for many ailments. The fernery also displays some prominent edible species of fern like Lingura (Diplazium esculentum), a popular food item in the hills of Uttarakhand which is considered highly nutritious.

    Beside this the fernery also displays many epiphyte, aquatic ferns and popular and interesting ferns like Vishkanya, Mayurshikha, Boston Fern, Lady Fern, Rock Fern, Basket Fern, Ladder Fern, Golden Fern and Horsetail Fern.

    Besides boasting of various fern species, it also displays interesting facts about ferns like reference of invisible seeds of ferns in Shakesphere’s play Henry IV and the craze of ferns known as ‘Pteredomania’ in the Victorian era.

  • ‘Including Almora in Gairsain District not practical decision’: Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister

    Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: A cabinet minister from former Chief Minister (CM) Trivendra’s cabinet, who is also in the new CM’s cabinet said on Thursday that inclusion of Almora district in Gairsain commissionary was not a ‘practical’ decision.

    Rekha Arya, state cabinet minister for women and child welfare also praised the newly sworn in CM Tirath Singh Rawat.

    “I am glad that Tirath Singh Rawat has decided to reconsider the decision. Almora district has its own history, personality and people’s emotions are attached with the issue,” added Arya. 

    The statement comes at a time when it is believed that the decision was one of the main reasons for removal of Trivendra Singh Rawat as the state Chief Minister.

    Sources from the government said that adding Almora in newly formed Gairsain commissionary acted a big catalyst. The MLAs from Kumaon division were angry about ‘annexation’ of traditional cultural capital of Kumaon for the newly built division in Garhwal division. 

    Immediate trigger for Trivendra Singh Rawat’s removal is also said to be creation of Gairsain division with two districts from Kumaon and Garhwal divisions each without consulting the MLAs.

    “The MLAs, especially 22 MLAs from Kumaon division were really angry about the decision. They were not even apprised of such a big decision,” said an insider from the BJP. 

    Earlier, this month, in a historic move, Uttarakhand government in a live budget session in Gairsain state assembly announced that the summer capital will be third commissionary of Uttarakhand.

    The new division will have four districts- Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar and Almora along with a senior IAS officer as commissioner and senior IPS as deputy-inspector general of police like other two divisions of the state- Kumaon and Garhwal. 

    Last year, Gairsain town in Chamoli district was designated as summer capital of Uttarakhand. The announcement came after almost two decades after formation of Uttarakhand in year 2000. 

    Gairsain town is located 250 kilometers from Dehradun at 5,410 feet elevation spanning around 7.53 square kilometres with population of around 12000. 

    Meanwhile, sources from the state government told that in coming days, the decision regarding Char Dham Devsthanam Board can be taken which has been bone of contention between priests and the state government. 

    The law was brought in by the Trivendra government to manage Char Dham shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri along with 51 other major temples of the hill state.

    The cabinet on Thursday approved Rs 1 Crore for government medical college in kotdwar of Pauri district among other few decisions.