Pachmarhi herbal clinics face tough times

Ayurvedic clinics in Pachmarhi are facing a tough time because of the forest department's strict vigil on the "unauthorised" cultivation and collection of medicinal plants and herbs.

Though the MP government has made no efforts to make this town a destination of medical tourism, the number of tourists with medical interests is increasing every year.

People from all over India visit Pachmarhi to get ayurvedic consultancy for diabetes, cardiac problems, and impotency.

Pachmarhi ayurvedic clinics have clients all over the country and indirect clients abroad, including Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. The clinics' daily incomes vary from Rs 500 to Rs 15,000.

A number of ayurvedic clinics have come up in Pachmarhi because of a good supply of medicinal plants and herbs, sourced from the tribal people of nearby villages including Badkachhar, Kanjighat, Tola, Bhurabhagat, Khamkheda, Delakhadi and Hardwar. Local Vaidhyas (ayurvedic physicians) make medicines for various ailments.

"Our business touched Rs 15,000 per day during October-November but we are now short of supply due to a blanket ban on illegal collections of herbs and medicinal plants," said Neelesh Jain, owner of Bhartiya Ayurvedic Samasthan, a 51-year-old shop in the town.

He said one kg of honey collected from honeycombs cost Rs 2,100 since it had more medicinal values and was free from the galleria wax moth.

According to Narendra Kumar Chanchal, a local physician, medicinal plants like gudmar or gymnema sylvestre (cures for diabetes), shilajit (perhaps the most potent rejuvenator and anti-aging substance), daruhaldi (heals fractures), ashwagandha or withania somnifera (helps regulate blood sugar), and honey are in good demand.

Dassu, a local tribal in Village Pagara, who once supplied medicinal and herbal plants to local vaidyas, says he has discontinued toiling in dense forests and hills because forest guards does not allow him to do so.

However, he said he refined Shilajit (the literal meaning of Shilajit is rock-like), which is supplied by local tribal people at Rs 1,000 per 100 gm and is sold in Pachmarhi by vaidyas at Rs 2,000 per 100 gm.

Forest officials say the Satpura range of forest has more than 700 known medicinal plants and herbs.

"People hire tribal people of nearby villages and visit with them National Parks to collect medicinal plants; however, there is no threat to flora and fauna so far," said a forest department source.

But tribal people have adopted a strategy to protect the medicinal plants and charge heavy prices from ayurvedic clinics.

For example, a place in dense forests, known as Belkhandar, which is rich in herbs and medicinal plants, is out of reach of common people due to mysterious tales associated with it, some verging on the supernatural.

But the reported eviction drive in tribal villages, launched by the department of forests at the Satpura National Park, has triggered panic among local ayurvedic clinics, which directly employ more than 500 people in Pachmarhi and indirectly 3,000 people.

"We are in this business for four generations and are licence holders, but our suppliers do not have licences. A ban on them will imperil our business and this ancient medical science," said Chanchal.

But Raghu Singh, a tribal who once collected medicines for local vaidyas from the nearby village Bhurabhagat, says alleged exploitation by vaidyas, which is why they have discontinued supply.