Uttarakhand

• 29 Sep 2021

Three New Food Testing Laboratories in Uttarakhand

Why in News

• On September 28, 2021, Uttarakhand Chief Secretary S.S. Sandhu ordered the opening of three new food testing laboratories in Uttarakhand. He also directed to set up one mobile food testing lab each in Garhwal and Kumaon region.

Key Points

• These laboratories will be set up at Dehradun, Haridwar and Haldwani.
• At present there is only one food testing laboratory in the state, which is located at Rudrapur.
• The Chief Secretary also directed to start portal based surveillance, conduct regular campaigns and take strict action against those involved in illegal business to check adulteration of food items in the state.
• He said that short video clips should be made to spread awareness among the people. Along with this, he also directed people associated with hotel business to adopt cleanliness ratings.

Country's First Naturally Grown Fernatum (Conservation Zone)

Why in News

• Recently the country's first naturally grown fernatum (conservation zone) has been created in the Kalika forest range in Ranikhet of Almora district. Efforts will be made by the department to make it an Asian level study site so that researchers can get to know about these fern species of the Jurassic era.

Key Points

• The new fernatum was recently opened on Dalmoti Road of Kalika Forest Research Center by Sanjeev Chaturvedi, Chief Conservator of Forests (Research), Uttarakhand.
• He informed that fern species are very beneficial medicinally and they need to be protected. For their protection, Fernatum has been prepared in one hectare area in Kalika.
• According to Sanjeev Chaturvedi, the fernatum has a stock of species found in the high, middle and lower Himalayan regions of Uttarakhand and soon this fernatum will be made the largest naturally grown area of its kind in Asia.
• There are currently 103 different types of ferns. 95 percent of these species are from Uttarakhand.
• Among the many fern species found in Fernatum, Hansraj is a typical fern species of Uttarakhand. It is rich in medicinal properties and its roots are used to combat the effects of snakebites. There are 10 species in Kalika.
• Chaturvedi informed that a conservation center has been set up for fern species in green and shed houses in Kerala, but in Kalika, the country's first ferntum has grown naturally according to the local climate. It will be made the nodal center for the study of fern species.