India is home to 8000 medicinal plants revealed the Botanical Survey of India(BSI). The BSI has been carrying out survey and documentation of all plant resources of the country including medicinal and aromatic plants and herbs.
This survey is the nodal repository for Reference Plant Collections and at present houses about 3.2 million specimens in its different herbaria, which help in taxonomic characterization and monitoring of species, including medicinal plants.
The medicinal plants are distributed mainly in the following areas - around 1500 species in the western Himalayas, 3000 in the eastern Himalayas, 2000 species in the Western Ghats and around 1500 in the eastern ghats including Andaman and Nicobar islands.
According to the information provided by Minister of Ayush Shri Sarbananda Sonowal in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today, the National Medicinal plants Board (NMPB), Minsitry of Ayush has supported 20589.45 hectare area under 105 Medicinal Plants Conservation and Development Areas (MPCDAs).
And as per data available in different sources, there are more than 2800 species of medicinal plants used in different traditional systems of Indian Medicine.
The NMPB is implementing the Central Sector Scheme on ‘Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants’
In-situ conservation / Ex-situ conservation.
Livelihood linkages with Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) / Panchayats / Van Panchayats / Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) / Self Help Groups (SHGs).
IEC activities like Training / Workshops / Seminars/ Conferences etc.
Research & Development.
Promotion, marketing and trade of medicinal plants produce.
Financial assistance to promote and encourage farmers to cultivate medicinal plants was earlier provided by ministry of Ayush under the National Ayush Mission from 2015-16 TO 2020-21.
The cultivation activities were implemented through the identified implementing agency of concerned state as per the State Annual Action Plan, under which 140 medicinal plants species have been prioritised for supporting cultivation throughout the country.
Under this scheme the Ministry has supported 56,305 hectare area for cultivation of medicinal plants throughout the country between 2015-2021.
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