New Delhi, July 30:The Botanical Survey of India (BSI), an organization under Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, and 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.
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.
(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.
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.
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.
This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik in written reply to a question in LokSabha.
