EVERY WINTER, I eagerly wait for a piece of the Himalayas, right here in Delhi. Vegetable markets in the city sport a large citrus fruit, galgal (Citrus pseudolimon or hill lemon) during the first two months of the year. This thick skinned, acidic lemon is used with green chillies in a pickle that, for a week or two, becomes an indispensable part of my meals. The sourness of the pulp and the bitterness of the rind work together in the pickle, which tastes best with rice and lentils.
This year, my pickle was still not ready when Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district was hit by a massive flash flood triggered by an avalanche. Gushing water destroyed everything in its path, including dams.
Chamoli is among the few places in the country which has a high genetic diversity of citrus fruits, as per National Research Centre for Citrus in Nagpur. Some 27 species of citrus grow in India, 23 of which are found in the Northeast. But galgal is more commonly found in northwestern foothills of the Himalayas, including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. In fact, citrus is among the top three horticultural crops grown in Uttarakhand, along with mango and apple. Various fruits like malta, lemon, lime, galgal and citron grow in the state, but the production figures for each of them is not known.
Denne historien er fra March 01, 2021-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra March 01, 2021-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
