New Delhi, April 3: Ecological changes in the eastern Himalayas could have a bearing on an unlikely aspect of life — monastic rituals at the 400-year-old Tawang monastery of Arunachal Pradesh.
The exotic rhododendron flower has long been used in the religious rituals at the historical Tawang monastery, but the species is now on the brink of extinction because of continuous environmental damage. Of the 65 species of rhododendrons found in the country, as many as 43 have been classified as “rare and threatened”. Rhododendrons, called sheng by the local residents of Tawang, grow at altitudes ranging between 1,500 and 4,500 metres above sea level and take about six years to bloom.
Field studies by the India chapter of the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF-India) revealed that the majority of the 52 species of rhododendrons found in Arunachal Pradesh and the eastern Himalayas were being threatened by unplanned development and shifting cultivation and rampant use of the plants as fuel.
Rhododendrons catch fire easily because of the presence of poly-flavenoids and other resinous substances.
Sudipto Chatterjee, a programme co-ordinator at WWF-India, said the traditional practice of chopping the plant at the base was one of the reasons why rhododendrons were on the verge of extinction. “There is no chance of regeneration if a plant is chopped at the base.” Chatterjee also blamed road construction and jhum cultivation for the destruction of the rhododendron species.
WWF has taken a one-hectare plot of land on lease in Tawang to restore the “community rhododendron forest” and started a programme to raise awareness among the indigenous people about conserving the species.
“The response to our programme has been very encouraging. Once the local residents are convinced about the benefits and the positive long-term implications, the task of preservation will become much easier,” Chatterjee said.
Conservationists believe that growing Himalayan alder on a large scale is one way of preventing destruction of rhododendron species. The Himalayan alder is not only a good substitute for fuelwood, but enhances the fertility of the soil. The scheme is being implemented with financial assistance from WWF-Japan. It will be gradually extended to other parts of the Northeast.