Mizoram Govt Sets Up Northeast's 1st Orchid Centre To Study & Conserve

Aizawl: The Mizoram Orchid Centre was constructed for the purpose of researching, conserving, and propagating rare species orchids at a cost of Rs 3.9 crore, making it the first of its kind in the whole northeastern region.

According to authorities from the Rural Development Department, the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission (SPMRM) funded facility includes well-equipped tissue culture facilities, greenhouses, and other required ancillaries.

Mizoram's Rural Development Minister, Lalruatkima, launched the facility at Maubuang, some 41 kilometres from Aizawl, stating it will help conserve and safeguard orchid species, of which are nearly extinct and only found in Mizoram. He stated that the institute's development may open up new eco-tourism and rural tourist pathways, creating new opportunities for the inhabitants of the region.

Professor F. Lalnunmawia, a forestry specialist and Mizoram Assembly representative, said that orchid growing might help boost the area's economy and that the centre will collaborate with villagers on this. The facility will also perform orchid research and study possible employment and money generation prospects for residents in the surrounding areas, according to a statement released by the Mizoram government.

The Rural Development Department, the project's implementing agency, will transfer over the centre to a private firm, Zoawi Orchids, for management and operations for a three-year period. Scientists from Sikkim's National Research Centre for Orchids, as well as other orchid experts from the state and Mizoram University, were consulted throughout the centre's building. According to the statement, the Biodiversity and Nature Protection Network (BIOCONE), a well-known environmental NGO, was entrusted with collecting orchid species from around the state for conservation at the centre.

Around 350 orchid species have been identified in Mizoram, with more being discovered all the time. Nonetheless, building projects have depleted the state's orchid reserves, leading to the extinction of certain species and the near-extinction of others.

According to the statement, the extensive collection of orchids by suspected plant smugglers has resulted in the loss of orchid variety, which has been prevented, thanks to the work of the state's apex NGO, the Young Mizo Association, as part of their biodiversity preservation campaign.

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