HAPOLI, 5 Sep: Horticulture Minister Tage Taki inaugurated a centre for conservation and propagation of wild orchids of Arunachal here in Lower Subansiri district on Sunday.
The centre is an initiative of the Hapoli forest division, and is located in the campus of the DFO office here.
Arunachal, with 558 recorded species of orchids, has the largest number of orchid species in India. The Hapoli forest division has been striving to preserve this natural treasure of the state, and a first-of-its-kind ‘wild orchid conservation trail’ was launched at Pange camp in Tale Wildlife Sanctuary two years ago.
This trail has seen relocation of 182 species of rare and endemic orchids of Lower Subansiri district. Six species present in the trail are a new record and an addition to the orchid flora of the country.
Taki commended the efforts of the Hapoli forest division and said the forest department “holds the noble responsibility of preserving nature in its form.” The orchid conservation centre, he said, would help in educating the local population about the wealth of orchids that are present around them but remain unappreciated.
Hapoli Forest Division DFO Abhinav Kumar informed that the centre presently houses 50 species of orchids, and that they are available for sale at nominal prices.
“This centre would be the second such facility for orchids’ conservation after the orchid research centre located in Tippi in West Kameng district,” he informed.
Ziro AIR Director Hage Tachang and forest officials were present at the inauguration. (DIPRO)
