Some vital Badakhshan herbal plants on verge of extinction

FAIZABAD (Pajhwok): Rare natural bush Elah Rang known for its significance in the medical and industrial sector in southeastern Badakhshan province was on the verge of extinction due to indiscriminate excavation.

Some local residents also acknowledged that people due to poverty started excavation of the natural herb and said every individual daily collected up to 14 kilogram of Elah Rang which also known as Hashik.

Every seven kilogram of the herbal cost 550 afs and resulted in a decent income for the people.

Qari Faiz Rahman Ibrahimi, head of the Environmental Protection Authority, said in line with the direction of the ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’ (IEA) during the meeting with civilian and military officials emphasis was made on the prevention of every kind of mountainous herbals excavation and uncontrolled hunting of wild animals.

He added some traders paid a small amount of money to uproot and collect this mountain plant, while the generation of this plant is on the verge of extinction and if not taken seriously, it will be a big risk to the environment and other medicinal plants.

The Department of Environmental Protection is a policy-making body and we ask the executives to cooperate seriously in the field of preventing the eradication of medicinal plants, cutting down forests and illegal hunting of wildlife and aquatic creatures, otherwise environmental challenges will increased in Badakhshan.

Agriculture Director Qari Qutbuddin Dahnavi, they also banned uprooting of medical herbal plants and deforestation through an official letter. The district agriculture offices had been conveyed to strictly monitor the situation and not allow the excavation of industrial and medical plants.

Eradication of medicinal plants and cutting down forests caused the destruction and extinction of the humanity and it should be avoided, otherwise the violators will be dealt according to the law.

Elah Rang plant has medical and industrial significance and it could be found most of the Badakhshan districts. Excessive excavation of the herb had been noticed in Juram, Yamgan, Karan wa Manjan and other districts.

Abdul Farid, the resident of Karan Wa Manjan district, said: “Due to unemployment, I go to the mountains with my friends and each person collects more than seven kilograms of this Elah Rang, we sell each seven kilograms of the plant against 600 afg to traders, most of whom are from Badakhshan. They also transport this plant to the neighboring provinces and the center of the country by Kamaz vehicles.”

He believed that excessive excavation of the plant was not good but added that due to economic problems he had to do this and have no other option.

Ahmad Fahim, the resident of Juram district, said: “We daily witness the sale and purchase of Hashik plant but the unfriendly environmental condition had increased our worries.”

He asked the IEA government to stop the eradication of plants and forests in order to prevent flash floods, land sliding and other natural disasters.

Fahim said this year, more than ten times, the dust wave from the northern provinces of the country reached this district, the most important cause of which was the destruction of green areas, cutting of forests and mountain plants.

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