Sukinda: Aiming to preserve and promote indigenous healing medicines and practices, Tata Steel Foundation (TSF) organised a Green Therapy session at Tata Steel’s Sukinda Chromite Mine campus here on Friday. The event provided a platform for 50 participants from Bamnipal, Kalinganagar, and Sukinda regions to come together and share their knowledge and experiences related to traditional healing methods using medicinal plants.
The event was graced by distinguished guest speakers Dr. Bramhmananda Mahapatra, Retired Principal of Government Ayurvedic College, Balangir, Goutam Mohanty, Managing Director of Green Essence Foundation and Tahsil Toppo, a tribal healer from Sambalpur. The speakers emphasized on the vital role of medicinal plants in traditional healing, highlighting the importance of living in harmony with nature to prevent many common diseases. They also highlighted the potential of essential oils from various plants in healing and overall wellness.
On this occasion, Pankaj Satija, Executive In-charge, Ferro Alloys and Minerals Division, Tata Steel, said, “It is our humble effort towards National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan aligned with Kunming Montreal Global Diversity Framework primarily on target 3 and 21 with focus on communication, awareness and conservation of native species. It’s important that we preserve the rich cultural heritage of our tribal communities and promote the ethnobotanical medicinal practices. Through initiatives like the Green Therapy program, we endeavour to provide a platform for tribal healers to share their knowledge and advocate for the integration of traditional practices with modern medicine.”
Satija also added that the program is a step forward for inspiring further research in medicinal values of plants for greater cause of humanity with framework of benefit sharing.
Participating in the session, local tribal healers such as Budhimanta Gagrai, Narada Pingua, and Jadunath Marandi shared their valuable experiences, further enriching the dialogue on the importance of preserving this indigenous knowledge.
The event focused on the need to document and preserve the tribal healing practices while the speakers called for awareness campaigns, empowerment of local communities, legal protection of traditional knowledge, and the integration of tribal healing with modern medicine.
The event was attended by senior officials of Tata Steel, including Naveen Srivastava, Head Mines (Kamarda & Saruabil), Pramod Kumar, Head Admin (FAMD), and Debanjan Mukherjee, Head-KIC, Tata Steel Foundation.
The Green Therapy program highlights the importance of preserving tribal healing traditions and recognizing their potential to complement contemporary healthcare solutions.
