MANANG: The growing trend of picking buds of herbs before maturity has posed a risk of extinction to Himalayan herbs in the district.
Herbs mainly Yarchagumba, Forest Garlic, and Satuwa, among others, are plucked before maturity, said district forest officer Ajaya Karki. “The picking of immature herbs impedes the dispersal of seeds, thereby affecting the germination of new generation,” he said. “However, the herbs are collected by showing permission letters before the seeds mature,” he added. “The production of herbs are decreasing in the recent years.”
The right time to pluck herbs is last three weeks of June, according to Karki. “But people start collecting herbs from May,” he said.
The locals from Gorkha, Lamjung, Rukum, and Rolpa and the adjoining districts come to pick the herbs, according to the Annapurna Conservation Area Project. The permission is issued by charging revenue fees which are different for locals and people from other districts, said Babu Lal Tiruwa, chief of the Annapurna Conservation Area.
The locals have to pay Rs 10,000-12,000 while people from others districts have to pay Rs 20,000-25,000 as per the locations, according to Tiruwa.
Bhraka, Khangsar, Pisang, Chame and Naso of upper Manang are fertile for forest garlic. The conservation management committees of these local bodies have been arranging collection of herbs. “We charge Rs 5,000 for locals and Rs 10,000 for outsiders to collect forest garlic,” said Yad Ghale, chairperson of Tache Rural Municipality.
