MANIPUR: A village in Manipur’s hill district Ukhrul boasts of a large variety of orchids, some of them rare. It is an immeasurable wealth, thanks to an ‘orchid hunter.’ Like fellow Nagas, schoolteacher Betterson Ngashangva explores the jungles. While others will lop off trees for firewood and clear jungles for ‘jhum’ (slash and burn) cultivation, he looks for orchids which are in demand across India.
It was in 2014 when Ngashangva, who teaches arts subjects at the Phadang Government High School near Phalee village, started venturing into forests for the preservation of orchids. He began collecting them from the jungles and replanting them at home. He allows them to grow naturally, for he says he cannot afford to engage labourers to take care of the plants.
The district education authorities used to take him as a resource person for the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. “During my visits to schools in different villages, I noticed orchid plants being destroyed during chopping of trees in jungles by villagers. I thought I should preserve them lest they should become extinct. It became a habit,” recalls Ngashangva.
He says he has over 800-1,000 orchid plants. Sometimes, if a plant dies, another regenerates from the stem. “I am not an expert, but looking at the different kinds of flowers, I think I have over 60-70 varieties of them,” he says. His interest in orchids grew after watching videos on YouTube. “People come to see my orchids. Once, a research scholar from Mumbai came over. A lot of others from the state capital of Imphal also visit my house. I don’t know if they come for any study or just to see the orchids,” Ngashangva says with a grin.
He could not explore the jungles in the past two years during the pandemic. He says wherever he goes, he tries to create awareness among villagers to not fell trees or destroy forests. He tells them that if they cut down a tree, they should plant one. “People are supporting me although the felling of trees has not ceased. However, unlike in the past, they now don’t throw away the orchid plants. They replant them,” Ngashangva says. He is preserving the beautiful plants for the future generations and feels satisfied with what he is doing. “You can call me Orchid Hunter,” he says.
Mangang Raman, a Naga leader from Phalee, says Ngashangva has created awareness among people on the preservation of orchids. “He is very humble and abhors publicity. But we know what all he has been doing,” says Raman. Perched in the India-Myanmar biodiversity hotspot region, Phalee has an area of about 64 sq km with a population of 3,742. It has red sandy soil that receives a good annual rainfall of about 2,000-2,400 mm. Considering the region’s rich biodiversity, the Phalee Biodiversity Management Committee (Phalee BMC) was formed in 2011 under the Manipur Biodiversity Board although it became functional in 2019. It provides a mechanism for equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of traditional biological resources and knowledge at district, block and village levels.
Ngalengshim, who is a member of the Phalee BMC, says Ngashangva has the traditional knowledge of plantation and the highest number of orchid collections in the entire district. Some rare species found at his house are blue vanda, lady slipper orchid, coelogyne barbata, neogyna gardneriana, dendrobium chrysotoxum, dendrobium thyrsiflorum.
“We collaborate in the native orchid plantation initiated as a hobby by Ngashangva. It is integrated with stingless bees to promote pollination and honey production,” Ngalengshim says, adding that the house of the teacher has become a mini orchidarium with rare orchids preserved in natural habitat conditions.
The Rainforest Biodiversity of Phalee, an autonomous institute of the village, is a twin community-based organisation of Phalee BMC. It is the main technical team of biodiversity conservation. The Phalee BMC uses a web portal to upload and curate species to build a dynamic and perpetual biodiversity register of the village. It has documented more than 3,300 species and identified over 700 through the portal.
Trying to create awareness
He began collecting them from the jungles and replanting them at home. He allows them to grow naturally, in natural habitat conditions. He says wherever he goes, he tries to create awareness among villagers to not fell trees or destroy forests. He tells them that if they cut down a tree, they should plant another