Solan (Himachal Pradesh), Feb 27 (IANS) A regional centre has been set up in Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry in Nauni near here to study and conserve species of flora in the western Himalayas, officials said on Thursday.
The High Altitude Western Himalayan Regional Centre was inaugurated on Wednesday by CK Mishra, who is Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The centre will carry out intensive and extensive field surveys to explore and document floral diversity of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh over 1.57 lakh sq km under its jurisdiction.
The region has a rich diversity of endemic, endangered and threatened plant species.
It was very difficult to adequately explore western Himalayas due to its long distance from the Botanical Survey of India headquarters in Kolkata and Northern Regional Centre in Dehradun, a university statement said.
The centre will not only collect basic data on plants but also help in building rural economy by conserving and judicious management and utilisation of plant resources, it said.
The data from the centre will help institutes involved in studies of the Himalayan ecology.
Initially, the centre’s office will operate from the university, which will also prounities of different backgrounds. However, what is happening in Delhi is disheartening, especially for those of us who hail from the same city,” the Khaleej Times quoted Dubai resident Nadeem Hasan as saying on Wednesday.
“The people of the city should protect each other and stand for each other. This is the beauty of our country and Delhi sees people from across the country who live and work together… We stand by the people of Delhi in these tough times and hope that we shall be able to overcome these times as we have faith in our country and its people.”
Seema Ansari, whose in-laws and cousins reside in New Delhi, said the very thought of riots and violence was making her nervous.
“The situation is very volatile and tense in Delhi. Our folks in Delhi have been spending sleepless nights not knowing when the situation may spiral out of control,” Ansari told the Khaleej Times.
Abu Dhabi resident Meraj Siddiqui, a graduate from Jamia Millia Islamia university in New Delhi, said his close friends who were staying in one of the areas that were attacked by the mob escaped from danger as they were away for a couple of days.
“My close friend and his wife were lucky enough to escape the violence. However, two of their neighbours were killed I am scared for my family and friends and have been calling them/messaging them constantly.
“All I can do now is pray and appeal people to restrain themselves and not get provoked by hate speeches,” the Khaleej Times quoted Siddiqui as saying.
–IANS
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