LOCAL NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

By Our Correspondent

Taplejung, Feb. 13: The chiraito – a herbal plant - found mainly in the eastern region of the country is facing extinction.

A research carried out in 1981 showed that 19 species of chiraito grew in Taplejung, Tehrethum, Sankhuwasabha and Dhankuta districts. Among them, Suberat, Suberata and Aanguntipholia are traded and used as herbal medicine by the locals.

Chiraito has been a good source of income generation for the villagers. The sale export of chiraito from Biratnagar and Kakarbhitta customs points stood at Rs. 14 million in the fiscal year 1990/91. The report shows that about 100 tons of chiraito is exported to India per annum. Yaman Bhandari, a local businessman at Taplejung said, "Some people have been involved in the illegal export of chiraito to Tibet."

According to the records of the Forest Products Department, 419 metric tons of chiraito had been exported to India in 1994/95 which came down to 225 metric tons during the fiscal year 1998/99. From Biratnagar’s Rani customs office alone 140.719 metric tons of chiraito had been exported to India in the same year. The export declined by 50 per cent in comparison to the previous year. The records show that the production of chiraito is decreasing over the years.

The book published by the Gorkha Herbal Company in 1992 had stated that chiraito cost Rs. 30 to Rs. 50 per kg at that time but now it costs as high as Rs. 120 per kg, said Bhim Bahadur Karki, a businessman of Sankhuwasabha.

Keeping in view the falling production of chiraito, the Herbal Refine and Production Company had started farming chiraito in some parts of Sankhuwasabha, Illam, and Gorkha districts a few years ago but it got discontinued. Rameshwor Thakur, acting head of District Forest Office at Taplejung said, "The main reason of the falling production of this herb is the competition among the villagers to gather chiraito in the young stage to get high price in the market.

"Although the Community Development and Research Center is working to preserve chiraito, it has not been up to the mark" said Dr. Tanka Prasad Bastakoti, a crops expert and the co-coordinator of chiraito Development Committee. He said the plucking of chiraito in young stage should be prohibited and the people should be punished for such work.

Chiraito, with the scientific name of Soyersiyachirata, falls in the Jensianesi plant family and is found between the altitude of 1, 200 to 3, 000 meters from sea-level. The lack of awareness and technical knowledge in the people is the main cause of its falling production, Dr. Bastakoti said.

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