Baramulla: Conservation of herbal plants has taken a leap with the setting up of the Medicinal Plants Resource Centre in Rafiabad.
The Forest department has set up a Medicinal Plants Resource Centre at Khamoh Rafiabad in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district to conserve different herbal plants which are at the verge of extinction.
Spread over nine hectares, the park is dotted with numerous deodar and other trees. It has a proper seating arrangement for visitors.
The work on the park was started some three years ago and took authorities almost a year to complete.
The park is further being developed with each passing day. An official said that the park was set up to develop the area as a tourist resort. He said that most residents of the area do not have a permanent means of livelihood.
“We have developed the centre here to boost the economy of the region which will pave the way for a dignified living of the locals,” the official said.
The official said that all necessary steps were being taken by the Forest department to attract visitors across Kashmir to visit the park and cherish its beauty.
“We have cultivated different kinds of herbal plants here which are at the verge of extinction. This is a dream project of Conservator of Forests North Circle Irfan Rasool and we as a team are doing our best to make it a successful one,” he said.
Meanwhile, the locals have thanked the Forest department for setting up the park in their village.
“It will certainly boost the economy of the area. Otherwise, locals didn’t have many avenues of earning livelihood here,” said Sarpanch of the village. “The concerned forest official Mansoor Ahmad Ganie has really done a remarkable job and with his personal efforts, the centre has been successfully established here,” he added.
The residents urged the Forest department to construct a rest house in the area so that the visitors to the park could also stay for the night.