Question : Conservation of Medicinal Plants

Will the Minister of AYURVEDA,YOGA AND NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (AYUSH) be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the medicinal plants existing in India;

(b) whether the National Medicinal Plant Board is carrying out conservation,
farming, processing and storage of all the available medicinal and aromatic plants;

(c) if so, details thereof plant-wise;

(d) whether several medicinal plants are becoming extinct; and

(e) if so, the details of the medicinal and aromatic plants which are becoming extinct, State-wise including various efforts being made for their conservation?

Answer given by the minister

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF AYURVEDA,
YOGA & NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY
(SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)
(a): The Botanical Survey of India (BSI), an organization under Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Government of India has been carrying out survey and documentation of all plant resources of the country including medicinal/aromatic plants and herbs. As per BSI estimate more than 8,000 species of medicinal herbs and medicinal plants are found in the country.

(b) & (c): The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of AYUSH has been implementing following Schemes w.e.f. 2008-09 for overall development of the Medicinal Plants sector in the country:

(i) Central Sector Scheme on “Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants” aimed at providing support for survey, inventorization, in-situ conservation, ex-situ conservation / herbal gardens, linkage with Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs), Research and Development etc. The scheme is being implemented since 2008 and continued during the 12th Plan.

Contd……..

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(ii) Centrally Sponsored Scheme of “National Mission on Medicinal Plants” primarily aimed at supporting cultivation of medicinal plants on private land with backwards linkages for establishment of nurseries, for supply of quality planting material and forward linkages for post-harvest management etc. Since 2014-15, the Scheme is being implemented as “Medicinal Plants” component under National AYUSH Mission (NAM) Scheme of Ministry of AYUSH. Presently, under the scheme, cultivation / farming of 140 prioritized medicinal plants species are being supported by NMPB (Annexure).

(d) & (e): According to BSI, an organization under Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, about 70 medicinal and aromatic plants species are threatened due to various anthropogenic activities.

The threatened medicinal and aromatic plants are as follows:

Aconitum balfouri, Aconitum chasmanthum, Aconitum deinorrhizum, Aconitum falconeri var latilobum, Aconitum ferox, Aconitum heterophyllum, Acorus gramineus, Allium stracheyi, Amyris balsamifera, Angelica glauca, Anogeissus sericea var. numularia, Aquillaria mallaccensis, Aquilaria khasiana, Aristolochia bracteolata, Aristolochia indica, Arnebia benthamii, Atropa acuminata, Berberis affinis, Berberis apiculata, Berberis aristata, Bergenia stracheyi, Boronia megastigma, Capparis pachyphylla, Carum villosum, Cedrus deodara, Colchicum luteum, Coptis teeta, Coscinium fenestratum, Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Dioscorea deltoidea, Elaeocarpus prunifolius, Ephedra gerardiana, Ferrula gummosa, Gaultheria fragrantissima, Gentiana kurooa, Gloriosa superba, Hedychium coronarium, Hedychium spicatum, Hyoscyamus niger, Hydnocarpus macrocarpa, Inula racemosa, Iphigenia indica, Iphigenia pallida, Iphigenia stellata, Jurinea dolomiaea, Kolanchoe roseus, Madhuca insignis, Myristica fragrans, Myroxylon balsamum var. pereirae, Nardostachys grandiflora, Origanum vulgare, Panax pseudoginseng, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Podophyllum hexandrum, Pogostemon cablin, Pterocarpus santalinus, Rauvolfia serpentina, Rheum emodi, Santalum album, Satureja horensis, Saussurea bracteata, Saussurea costus, Saussurea gnaphalodes, Swertia chirayita, Taxus wallichiana, Taxocarpus kurzii, Urginea indica, Urginea maritima and Vitex peduncularis.

Under NMPB’s Central Sector Scheme on Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants special attention is being given to conserve endangered species of medicinal plants in their natural habitat by way of in-situ conservation through development of Medicinal Plants Conservation & Development Areas (MPCDAs) and by way of ex-situ conservation through development of Herbal Gardens.

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