Research Article

My experiences with the herbal
plants & drugs as I knew - Part VII : Mentha

Dr. N.C. Shah



In this article the author recapitulates his experiences at Haldwani where he saw for the first time Japanes mint in cultivation in
experimental and commercial scale. CIMPO Farm was estalished in 1963 and in 1964 the author
joined it. What ever work he did at Haldwani is given in this article.

My work as a Senior Scientific Assistant from 18th Aug.1964 to 24th Nov.1965 at Haldwani & Lucknow:

After working about four years at Chaubattia in the year 1964 I was selected as Senior Scientific Assistant under at CIMPO (CSIR) now CIMAP in the year 1964 I was so engrossed in the medicinal plant Garden, at Chaubttaia( Ranikhet) that I did not want to leave the beautiful place and a field for my research work. With a very heavy heart I had to leave the place. Here, I was scientifically free to work with two drug farms one at Chaubattia and other at Seoni about 20 km away, where I used to make periodic visits. I was fearing as what work I will get at Haldwani. How will be my officer-in-charge, where I would stay and where I will eat all these questions were haunting me.

At last on 17th Aug.1964 I was relieved from Govt. Gardens at Chaubattia. and joined CIMPO at Haldwani. The office cum laboratory was in a hired building of a retired Chief Conservator of Forest Late Shri D.L Sah, who was the first Indian Chief Conservator of Forest in Uttar Pradesh. I straight away went to the office, the staff was cordial and they arranged my stay in a room of the building itself Mr. B.C Gulati. was the Officer-in charge of the CIMPO Centre.at Haldwani. As he was out of station so I had to wait for him. When, Mr.Gulati (Later he was awarded Ph.D degree on Mentha crop) came I reported to him. The CIMPO Office was at Haldwani with two JSA (Mr.B.P.Dimri and Mr. S.P.S.Duhan) and one office attendant and a driver and the Farm of 350 acres was at Khamia Block at Lalkuan about 25 km from Haldwani. This was also the first cultivation of Mentha arvensis in U.P by Dr. Gulati. Dr Gulati had worked under doyens of essential oil chemistry like Mr. Narielwal and Dr. Sadgopal, the name one could easily find in Wealth of India under essential oil or aromatic plants. At Haldwani, I was acclimatizing my self to the new environment and to the place of working.

About the Author:

Founder & Ex. Director,
Herbal Research & Development Institute,
Uttarakhand & Head of the Botany
& Pharmacognosy Dept.,
CIMAP,( CSIR),
MS-78, Sector-D, Aliganj,
Lucknow-226024
Tel No. 0522-232 64 89;
E-mail: drnshah@sancharnet.in