The Punjab Biodiversity Board has started work on the conservation of Inami Bagh, an orchard in Bassi Umar Khan village in Hoshiarpur district with over 165 mango trees and about 30 rare native varieties, some represented by only one tree.
Officials of the board have surveyed the area for ground work, prepared a map and verified the revenue records, as the land may be acquired for conservation. They were accompanied by officials of the district administration, horticulture wing, PAU and the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology.
The team has worked out the market price of the land and the biodiversity board will seek Rs 1.75 crore from the state government for acquisition and conservation, says board’s Member Secretary Dr Neelima Jerath. “This orchard will be listed as a special item on the agenda of the next board meeting,” she says. On June 2, The Indian Express had highlighted the rich biodiversity of the ten-acre orchard, which is off the beaten track and needed a sound conservation plan. It is important to save the orchard as it is located in the ecologically-fragile kandi area.
On its visit to the Inami Bagh, the board team also studied another mango orchard in the neighbourhood, Chakdhari Bagh, and discovered rare varieties and a high degree of biodiversity. A member of the team says they will also include this orchard in their plan.
Earlier, the board officials had information that the Inami Bagh was owned by two NRI brothers, but after studying the records they have found a third owner who has sold off his share. The challenge before the board now is to bring around the NRI brothers and the owner of the neighbouring orchard for acquisition.
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