(a) whether the Medicinal Plants are on the verge of extinction;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
(c) the steps taken by the Government in this regard?
(a) whether the Medicinal Plants are on the verge of extinction;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
(c) the steps taken by the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
(SMT. PANABAKA LAKSHMI)
(a) & (b): No, Sir. However, the medicinal plants, like other groups of plants and animals,
are threatened largely due to degradation of forests owing to various anthropogenic factors.
(c): The Ministry of Environment & Forests formulates policies for protection of forests.
The Indian Forest Act, 1927 and the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 have provisions for
protection of forests and wildlife, including medicinal plants. The National Biodiversity Act,
2002 regulates the access to forest resources, including medicinal plants. The Ministry of
Environment & Forests is also supporting a number of projects on conservation by setting up
Medicinal Plants Conservation Areas (MPCAs) that are primarily located in forest areas.
Plantation of medicinal plants in degraded forest lands is supported through schemes of the
National Afforestation & Eco-development Board (NAEB), Ministry of Environment & Forests.
Government has also set up Medicinal Plants Board to coordinate matters relating to medicinal
plants with Ministries/ Departments and other stakeholders for ensuring availability of
medicinal plants of quality to the industry on a sustained basis.
The Board has undertaken various programmes for conservation and development of medicinal
plants. Central assistance is provided under the following schemes:
i) “Central Sector Scheme for Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal
Plantsâ€
The activities for which assistance is provided are as under:
# Survey, Inventorisation and In-situ conservation of rare, endangered and threatened species
of medicinal plants and setting up Medicinal Plants Conservation Areas (MPCAs)
# Ex-situ Conservation / Resource augmentation of Rare, Endangered and Threatened (RET) and
prioritized species in high demand
# Support to Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs)/ Panchayats / Van Panchayats for value
addition, warehousing and marketing
# Research, Development, Quality and Certification
# Promotional activities like setting up school herbal gardens, home herbal gardens
# Capacity building and training programmes for primary collectors, farmers and other
stakeholders
ii) “Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Mission on Medicinal Plantsâ€
The activities for which assistance is provided are as under:
# Nursery development
# Cultivation of prioritized plants required by the industry
# Post harvest management
# Marketing
# Setting up quality testing laboratories
# Setting up/ upgradation of herbal mandies
# Crop insurance
# Organic certification