Jammu, Feb 15 (PTI) Area under Seabuckthorn, a medicinal plant rich in bio-molecules, vitamins and nutritive properties and popularly known as 'Leh Berry', has been assessed at 11,500 hectares in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kahsmir. "The Field Research Laboratory (FRL) Leh through recent satellite imaging and mapping technique has assessed an area of about 11,500 hectares under Seabuckthorn in Ladakh region," a report of National Bank For Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) on State Focus Paper of Jammu and Kashmir said. There is huge potential to setting up units to prepare juices, oils and other items from Seabuckthorn in Ladakh region to give fillip to the economic of the region.

The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh in association with local authorities has setup three units - two in nobra Block and one in Leh belt to manufacture Juices of high medicinal, nutritive and vitamin value besides some oils etc. The Block Level Cooperative consumer stores in Nobra and 12 village level Cooperative and marketing societies were assigned the job of collection and processing of berries to pulp under the overall guidance of Registrar of Cooperative Societies, the report said. Leh based FRL has already patented the process of manufacture of Seabuckthron juice in Ladakh, it said. Seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) popularly knwon as Leh berry or Chhermang or Cherma in ladakh and Lauhul Spiti is a miracle 2-4 meter bush growing wild in high altitude areas of Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, the report revealed. All the parts of this plant are store house of bio-molecules, which have got immense medicinal properties and henance every part of the plant is useful for one purpose or other, it said. The small berries of this bush are rich in its nutritive and medicinal properties and the berries of seabuckthorn are ruch in sources of vitamins.

Cancellation of the Jet Airways flight to Ladakh left many dejected. 92 passengers, many of whom were on a religious tour, had to make last minute changes in their plans when the flight was cancelled owing to inclement weather.

Visitors from Ladakh were a harassed lot at the Chandigarh airport. The Jet Airways flight to Ladakh on 13th February was cancelled owing to bad weather conditions.  This affected 92 passengers, most of whom were on a religious tour around the city.

The Station Manager of Jet Airways had given a written assurance on the same day saying they were trying to arrange another flight for them. But when the passengers did not receive any information till Monday morning, they gathered at the airport to express their resentment.

The airport authorities said a special flight could not be arranged but efforts were on to accommodate passengers in the flights scheduled for coming weeks. As the day progressed, the flight authorities confirmed tickets to around one third of the total passengers on a flight scheduled for 23rd February. But with a delay of another week, the visitors rued, expenses for the stay and food would burn a hole in their pockets.

D&N