Port Blair, April 10: The Secretary, Govt. of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Mr Ashok Lavasa along with Smt Novel Lavasa, Mr M.S. Negi, PCCF (Wildlife), Mr D. M. Shukla, Addl. PCCF, Smt Archana Singh, CCF, Mr Yogesh, CCF (Wildlife), Mr Ravichandran, CCF and other officials of Forest Department, and ZSI, visited the BSI Office recently.
Dr. Lal Ji Singh, Head of Office explained research activities of the Botanical Survey of India, Andaman and Nicobar Regional centre on plant biodiversity and the intensive botanical explorations and authentic documentation of flora of the Islands enriching the herbarium and the museum of the Centre. Among all the units of BSI, Andaman & Nicobar Regional Centre holds the credits of covering one of the remote and insular floristic hotspots of the country.
The Secretary visited Dhannikhari Experimental Garden cum Arboretum (DEGCA) on Saturday. Dr. Singh explained that botanic garden of BSI lays particular emphasis on ex-situ conservation and multiplication of rare, endangered and endemic species of the islands. The Garden is demarcated into different sections like medicinal plots, bambusetum, endemic, rare and threatened plots, fern house, zingibers and orchid collections. Mr Lavasa, discussed various matters related to the documentation and conservation of the floral diversity as well as the economic and ecological significance of the threatened species of these islands.Shri Lavasaplanted sapling of endemic mango species Mangiferaandamanica King while Smt. Novel Lavasa planted the sapling of Rudraksh, ElaeocarpusganitrusRoxb. ex G. Don. Besides, Dr. Singh also briefed about th eenvironmental awareness programme organized with the collaboration of various departments for the benefit of the common man and works done on conservation of rare, endangered and threatened plants of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The Secretary also held discussion on new discoveries, conservation of endemic species, natural drinking straw, timber value plants and the recently discovered Banana species (Musa indandmanensis) by BSI scientists. The scientists of the centre Dr. Jagadeesh Ram TAM, and Dr. Sanjay Mishra also elaborated the activities of the centre towards specified goals of Botanical Survey of India.
