Construction work at a mango orchard in Digha. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Mango lovers in the state capital swear by the name of dudhiya Malda.

The particular variety of mangoes found a special ment-ion in chief minister Nitish Kumar’s speech during a “Save orchards campaign” launched in Patna on Friday. Nitish promised all possible support to farmers for growing mangoes in the state.

A few kilometres from the venue of the event (SK Memorial), the dudhiya Malda man-go at Digha is dying a slow de-ath, thanks to rampant constr-uction of buildings and felling of the trees.

While launching the campaign, Nitish spoke about taking additional care of mango trees and increase the fruit production with the help of technology. He also said the state government would monitor all the orchards in Bihar and make sure that they are not hampered in any way.

The promise by the chief minister has come at least 10 years late as the number of dudhiya Malda trees in Digha has shrunk from 10,000 to 550. If the measures assured by Nitish are delayed any further, dudhiya Malda trees in Digha may just become a fond memory of residents who grew up relishing the delicious mangoes from the orchards here.

The felling of trees and construction of buildings ha-ve badly affected the cultivation of Malda mangoes. Houses are being constructed in the middle of the orchards. The number of farmers involved in selling the dudhiya Malda mangoes has also diminished.

There was time when the dudhiya Malda mango trees were spread over nearly 4km, from Nasriganj to Mithla Colo-ny. Now, the orchards have sh-runk to just half-a-kilometre.

Lalu, a mango farmer said: “Digha mangoes were once the pride of the state. We used to transport the fruit to various places but now situation has changed. Digha has very few mango trees now. People who owned the land are selling it off as it is more profitable than growing mangoes.”

He added: “The state government should come forward to save these orchards. It needs protection or else that day is not far when Digha mangoes will only be talked about in books. I am sure in the next five years, not a single tree will exist here if serious steps are not taken to stop construction in the middle of the orchards.”