Uttarakhand

• 23 Aug 2021

Sputnik-V Vaccine Launched in Uttarakhand

Why in News

• On August 22, 2021, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the use of Sputnik-V vaccine in the state at the Graphic Era Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun.

Key Points

• A total of 100 people were given the Sputnik-V vaccine at the launch event. RC Ghanshala, Chief Patron, Graphic Era Group received the first dose of Sputnik-V Vaccine.
• Dr. Ajay Patel, Principal Medical Officer, Graphic Era Hospital said that the Sputnik-V vaccine has been declared 95% effective against Covid-19 and in the case of the Delta variant, the vaccine is considered to be about 83% effective.
• After registering on the Cowin app, one can get the Sputnik-V vaccine at Graphic Era Hospital at a fee set by the government.
• To prevent coronavirus infection, 100% vaccination work has been done in Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand. Along with Bageshwar, Khirsu block of Pauri district has also achieved its target and achieved 100% target of first dose in the entire block.
• Significantly, in Uttarakhand, more than 58 lakh people have received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccination so far, while the number of people who have received both the doses is more than 18 lakh.

Country's Highest Medicinal Garden

Why in News

• On August 21, 2021, India's highest medicinal garden was inaugurated at an altitude of 11,000 feet at Mana village, located near the Indo-China border in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.

Key Points

• The research wing of Uttarakhand Forest Department has developed the park on more than three acres of land given by Mana Van Panchayat. About 40 species of medicinal value of the high altitude alpine region of Himalayas have been preserved in this medicinal garden.
• According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), many of these species are endangered. Some are also included in the list of endangered species of the State Biodiversity Board.
• This park is divided into four sections. In this, the first category includes species associated with Badrinath (Lord Vishnu) - Badri Tulsi, Badri Ber, Badri Vriksha and the sacred tree Bhojpatra.
• The second class belongs to the Ashtavarga species, a group of eight herbs found in the Himalayan region. These include Riddhi, Vriddhi, Jivaka, Rishabhaka, Kakoli, Kshir Kakoli, Maida and Maha Maida, which are important ingredients of Chyawanprash. Four of these herbs belong to the lily family and four to the orchid family.
• In the third category are the species of snow lotus. These include the Brahma Kamal, which is the state flower of Uttarakhand. Other species of snow lotus in the park include the Fem Kamal, Neel Kamal and Koot.
• The fourth group consists of alpine species including Atisha, Meethavish, Vanakkadi and Choru, all of which are important medicinal herbs and are in high demand.
• It is worth mentioning that Mana is the last Indian village in Chamoli district bordering China and it is close to the famous temple 'Badrinath' situated in the Himalayas.