Srinagar, Jan. 14 -- Three hours into the arduous trek, Salim, 45-year-old forager hailing from indigenous Gujjar community of Sonamarg, lets out a shriek of joy, as he spots a cluster of medicinal plant species called Trillium Govainum, locally known as 'Tripather' on the grassy floor. He digs into the roots gently with a spade and carefully places the bulbs in a cloth bag slung on his shoulder.
"I am selling these plant bulbs to a smuggler in Srinagar for Rs 2000-3000 per kilogram. This is how I make my living," he says.
Every year, in the month of April, Salim gears up for the trek and extracts around half gram of the plant bulbs daily. The mountain, he has chosen is at an altitude of 2,500 metres, as this is the ideal height, where th...