MEDICINAL PLANT RESOURCES
UNDER STRESS IN THE
STATE
He feels that
it is time to introduce good conservation, collection, cultivation, harvesting,
storage and marketing practices to deal with the situation.“Medicinal plants
are renewable natural resources and therefore, their conservation and
sustainable utilisation must necessarily involve a long-term, integrated,
scientifically-oriented holistic action programme.” The JNTBGRI has proposed a
pilot project for conservation and sustainable use of medicinal and aromatic
plants. To be implemented in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts under the
World Bank-aided Kerala Forestry Programme, it seeks to conserve 10 selected
species of medicinal plants that are location-specific, rare, endangered and
possess high therapeutic values. Some of the conservation sites recommended are
‘Harichandana' (Maramanhal) site for conservation of Cocinum fenistratum and
‘Mritasanjeevani' site for conservation of Pittosporum nilghirensis
(Analivegam) at Upper Pampinkuzhi area of Kanayar range of Achencoil Division,
‘Varahi' site for conservation of Trichopus zeylanicus , popularly known as
Arogyapacha at Kottaramvacha para and Attayar of Peppara wild sanctuary and
Meenmutty, Mungavila near Kallar of Neyyar wildlife sanctuary of
Thiruvananthapuram division. Agasthayarkoodam in the Peppara/Neyyar wildlife
sanctuary of Thiruvananthapuram Division has been identified as Agasthya site
for conservation of Heracleum candolleanum (Vathamparathi).
Dr.
Rajasekharan feels that inventorisation, documentation and evaluation of
medicinal plants should be given top priority. “It is necessary to document
local indigenous knowledge on the use of plants for healthcare. Selected
high-value medicinal plants should be chemically prospected for identification
and isolation of potential biodynamic molecules of pharmaceutical interest.
Efforts are to be made for the domestication and genetic upgradation of the
medicinal plant wealth.” According to him, the large-scale cultivation of
rubber in the plains and harvesting from the forest and forest fringe areas are
the major threats to medicinal plants in Kerala.The indiscriminate destruction
of plants in public places by workers engaged under the employment guarantee
scheme is a major cause for concern, he says.
Prof.
John Kurakar
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