Entry of outsiders to extract yarsa gumba to be curtailed

BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, May 2

The administration has assured that it would deal strictly with the unauthorised people entering higher meadows to extract the precious yarsa gumba. Villagers have started preparations to extract the herb, which is a caterpillar fungus found in higher Himalayan meadows from May to July and used for aphrodisiac purposes by Tibetan system of medicine.

Thousands of people from over 40 villages, situated in the higher Himalayan region of Dharchula and Munsiyari sub-divisions of Pithoragarh district, go to extract the fungus as it fetches them more than Rs 1 lakh per kg in the international market and eases their lifestyle. “We are dependent on extraction and sale of this fungus from the past two decades as the profession of agriculture in this part has become uneconomic due to wildlife menace,” said Gangotri Devi, gram pradhan of Golpha village in Munsiyari sub-division.

The Golpha villagers go to Jimba glacier to collect yarsa gumba as the glacier falls under their villager territory. But from the past some years, outsiders have been seen in the glaciers, who not only outnumber the villagers but also threaten them of dire consequences if they are stopped. “We have complained to the Munsiyari SDM in this regard, who has assured us of strict action against unauthorised entries,” Devi said.

The gram pradhan said the precaution had been taken as due to some dispute with armed outsiders in 2015, the villagers had to withdraw from the glaciers. “We have taken strict measures this year to prohibit entry of outsiders to the meadow areas allocated to particular villages of the sub-division,” said Vaibhav Gupta, SDM of Munsiyari.

He had asked the villagers, who go to collect the herb, to stay there for the next four months and report to the administration immediately if any outsiders were seen.

“The villagers have been advised to work in a cooperative atmosphere with each other as if any untoward incident occurs, it will take four days for the administration to reach there as these meadows are situated at a height of more than 15,000 feet,” the SDM added.