Lok Sabha Question No. 3009 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-05
Subject: Common Medicinal Plants
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: ANJU BALA, B. SREERAMULU, Tejpratap Singh,Yadav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYURVEDA, YOGA & NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (AYUSH)

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO. 3009 TO BE ANSWERED ON 5 TH JANUARY, 2018

## COMMON MEDICINAL PLA NTS

## 3009. SHRIMATI ANJU BALA: SHRI B. SRIRAMULU: SHRI TEJ PRATAP SINGH YADAV:

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

- (a)  whether  common  medicinal  plants  are  becoming  endangered  due  to  several  factors  l div ersion  of  forest  land,  biotic  and  abiotic  interference  in  forest  areas,  overexp unsustainable harvesting of medicinal and aromatic plants and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether there  is  severe  short  supply  of  medicinal  plants  for  manufacturing  altern medicine;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (d)  whether  international  cooperation  is  needed  amongst  harvesters,  traders,  manufact Government  age ncies,  nongovernmental  organisations  and  researchers  to  secure  sustainab habitat for these medicinal plants; and
- (e) if so, the steps taken/ being taken by the Government in this direction?

## ANSWER THE MI NISTER 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 Environme Forests  and  Climate  Change  (MoEFCC )  mandated  for  survey  of  Plant  Diversity  of  the Country including medicinal and aromatic plants. As per BSI information, the medicinal aromatic  plants  are  threatened  and  falling  in  the  endangered  category  largely  d degradation  of  the  forests  owing to  various  anthropogenic  factors  i.e.  over -exploitation, unsustainable  collection  of  these  plants  and  habitat  degradation  due  to  change  in  l - use pattern. As per BSI information, some threatened medicinal plants are: Aconitum balfouri, A. chasmanthum, A . deinorrhizum, A. falconeri var latilobum, A. ferox, A. heterophyllum, Ac gramineus, Allium stracheyi, Angelica glauca, Anogeissus sericea var. numularia, Aquil

mallaccensis,  Aristolochia bracteolata,  A.  indica,  Arnebia  benthamii,  Atropa acuminata, Berberis affinis, B. apiculata, B. aristata, Bergenia stracheyi, Capparis pachyphylla, villosum,  Colchicum  luteum,  Coptis  teeta,  Coscinium  fenestratum,  Dactylorhiza  hatagi Dioscorea  deltoidea,  Elaeocarpus  prunifolius,  Ephedra  gerardian a,  Gentiana  kurooa, Gloriosa  superba,  Hedychium  spicatum,  Hyoscyamus  niger,  Hydnocarpus  macrocarpa, Iphigenia indica, I. pallida, I. stellata, Kolanchoe roseus, Madhuca insignis, Nardo grandiflora, Panax pseudoginseng, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Podophyllu m hexandrum, Pterocarpus santalinus, Rauvolfia serpentina, Rheum emodi, Saussurea bracteata, S. cos S. gnaphalodes, Swertia chirayita, Taxus wallichiana, Taxocarpus kurzii, Urgin indica and Urginea maritima .

(b) & (c): Medicinal  Plants  are  the  majo r  resource  base  for  manufacturing  alternative medicine / AYUSH medicine in the Country. As per the demand and supply study conducted by  Indian  Council  of  Forestry  Research  and  Education  (ICFRE)  supported  by  Nationa Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), the consu mption of medicinal plants has increased @ 7% per  year  with  an  annual  consumption  of  5  lakh  Metric  Tonnes  in  2014 - 15.  To  ensure  the sustainable availability and supply of medicinal plants for manufacturing these medici NMPB, Ministry of AYUSH under its 'Central Sector Scheme on Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants' is supporting augmentation the medicinal plants  resources  in  their  natural  habitats  /  wild  and  under  Centrally  Sponsored  Sch National AYUSH Missio n (NAM) also promoting large scale cultivation in farmer's field.

(d) & (e): In order to secure the sustainable habitat of medicinal plants, the Governmen taken  multiple  steps.  In  this  direction,  the  NMPB,  Ministry  of  AYUSH  under  its  Cen Sector S cheme is supporting in - situ conservation of medicinal plants by way of establishing Medicinal  Plants  Conservation  &  Development  Areas  (MPCDAs), ex- situ conservation  by way of establishing Herbal Gardens etc. throughout the country. Under the scheme suppo is also provided to carry out different IEC and R & D activities on various aspects of me plants engaging all stakeholders of medicinal plants viz. harvesters, traders, manuf Government agencies, non - governmental organizations and research ers.

In addition, to reduce the pressure on wild resource of medicinal plants and secur natural habitat, the Ministry of AYUSH under its Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Natio AYUSH  Mission  (NAM)  is  also  promoting  large  scale  cultivation  of  medicina l  plants  in farmer's field.

For international cooperation on medicinal plants, the NMPB, Ministry of AYUSH ha also  developed  a  standard  draft  Memorandum  of  Understanding  (MoU)  as  per  which  the focussed areas for bilateral / International includes promotio n of medicinal plants, Transfer of Technology,  Cultivation,  Conservation,  Sustainable  Collection,  Processing,  Marketing Research on medicinal plants, Exchange of information & Experts in the field of medi plants etc.

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