Assam''s Borjuli Wild Rice Site Gets Biodiversity Heritage Status

New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) The National Biodiversity Authority has recognised the Borjuli farming location in Sonitpur district of Assam as a Biodiversity Heritage Site, a significant milestone in the conservation of India's wild rice genetic resources, the Union agriculture ministry said on Thursday.

In an official statement, the ministry said that the Borjuli site in Sonitpur district of Assam, identified under a project run by the National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA), has been notified as a Biodiversity Heritage Site by the National Biodiversity Authority.

"The recognition marks a major step towards conserving India's rich wild rice diversity and strengthening climate-resilient agriculture," it added.

"The NRAA, under the Ministry of Agriculture, has achieved a significant milestone in the conservation of India's wild rice genetic resources through its funded project titled 'In-situ Conservation and Management of Wild Rice (Oryza rufipogon) in Sonitpur District of Assam'," the statement said.


The project has been implemented since 2022 by the ICAR–National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBPGR), New Delhi, in collaboration with the Assam State Biodiversity Board.

The ministry said that a team of scientists from ICAR-NBPGR called on the NRAA CEO, Chandra Shekhar Kumar, and briefed him on the project's achievements in the exploration, conservation, and characterization of wild rice germplasm.

The team informed that the Borjuli site has been notified as a Biodiversity Heritage Site by the National Biodiversity Authority.

Kumar noted that wild rice species are an invaluable source of genes for developing climate-resilient, high-yielding and nutritionally superior rice varieties.

He stressed the need to replicate similar conservation initiatives for other crop wild relatives across the country.