The initiative will be carried out in association with progressive farmers, with an average of 20 Banarasi Langda saplings to be planted at each Amrit Sarovar.

Varanasi: In a bid to revive the rapidly disappearing GI-tagged Banarasi Langda mango, the administration has launched a unique conservation initiative to plant nearly 8,000 saplings of the heritage variety along the banks of all 394 Amrit Sarovars in the district. The campaign aims to preserve the original cultivar while boosting its production through community participation.The initiative will be carried out in association with progressive farmers, with an average of 20 Banarasi Langda saplings to be planted at each Amrit Sarovar.Chief development officer (CDO) Prakhar Kumar Singh said the responsibility for the care and protection of the saplings will be entrusted to Amrit Sakhis, who will receive specialised technical training to ensure their proper maintenance.He said the campaign would not only strengthen environmental conservation but also help preserve the original Banarasi Langda variety, whose numbers have declined sharply over the years. Once regarded as the hallmark of Kashi, the heritage mango now faces the threat of losing its original genetic identity.According to the CDO, planting the saplings around Amrit Sarovars will give the iconic mango variety a new lease of life while integrating environmental conservation, water conservation and protection of local biodiversity. He said public participation would play a key role in ensuring the survival of the saplings, allowing the Amrit Sarovars to emerge as centres of both water conservation and Banarasi Langda preservation.Shailendra Raghuvanshi, director of Cholapur Kalyan Farmers Producer Company Limited and a progressive farmer, said the genuine Banarasi Langda variety is on the verge of disappearing, with only a handful of original trees surviving in Varanasi. To conserve the heritage variety, he has prepared around 15,000 authentic Banarasi Langda saplings, which will be planted across different locations.He said the situation had become so alarming that the mango once synonymous with Banaras across the country had become scarce even in its place of origin. “Through this campaign, Banarasi Langda will once again spread its unique taste and aroma across Kashi,” he said.District horticulture officer Subhash Kumar said the large-scale plantation drive was an important step towards conserving biodiversity and protecting the region’s agricultural heritage. He added that the success of the initiative would depend not only on government efforts but also on active public participation.