Guwahati: A surge in illegal and unauthorised collection of wild orchids from Upper Assam forests is driving an online smuggling trade through social media platforms. The Orchid Society of Assam has issued urgent warnings against the violation of the Wildlife Protection Act.
How the Illegal Trade Operates
Traders often use courier services to send protected species such as Dendrobium lituiflorum and Rhynchostylis retusa to buyers within the state and outside the northeast. The forest department has initiated raids to curb this activity. A senior forest official said, "Many buyers may not be aware that planting orchids at home after taking them from the forest areas is an offence. But traders take advantage of this ignorance."
Conservationists Raise Alarm
Conservationists like Jitu Gogoi have warned that wild species cannot survive in home cultivation, and the sale itself violates the Wildlife Protection Act. "Online sales of orchids in Assam are a growing trend that has increased over the last year. This illegal trade is conducted through social media platforms. The traders contact interested people individually," Gogoi, president of the Orchid Society of Assam and assistant professor at Silapathar Science College, told TOI on Thursday.
Sources said people involved in this illegal trade also sell other plants, and some of them run nursery businesses. Several markets in Duliajan, Digboi, Tinsukia, and Dibrugarh in Upper Assam were raided this year to stop the sale of orchids, but activists alleged that in some markets in Guwahati, it continues openly.
Species Targeted and Areas Affected
This year, in the Dhemaji daily market in Upper Assam, the forest department and Orchid Society of Assam stopped the sale of orchids around Rongali Bihu. Species such as Dendrobium lituiflorum, Rhynchostylis retusa, Dendrobium fimbriatum, Aerides rosea, Aerides odorata, Vanda teres, along with several ground orchids, are being collected from reserve forests of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, and Dhemaji districts and illegally traded.
Public Notice and Legal Warnings
The Orchid Society of Assam, through a public notice on Wednesday, appealed to all native orchid sellers across the state to immediately cease the collection and sale of wild orchids from their natural habitats. "It has come to our attention that certain individuals and gardeners have begun selling orchids through online platforms and local markets. Such activities are illegal and constitute a violation of the Wildlife Protection Act," the society cautioned. It urged everyone to refrain from the illegal collection and commercialisation of native orchids for personal gain. "Instead, let us unite in the noble cause of conserving Assam's wild orchids and safeguarding our rich natural heritage for future generations," read the notice.
Enforcement Actions and Rescue Efforts
In April this year, in Tingrai Chariali in Dibrugarh district, one individual was nabbed by the forest department while selling orchids from his home. Many orchid plants were rescued by Tinsukia Forest Division from that trader and were handed over to the Orchid Society of Assam, which later planted the orchids in Tinsukia College garden. Since these orchids were collected from forest areas, as per norms, they will have to be reintroduced into the wild. For the time being, they remain under the care of the society.
