More than 2000 flower species discovered in Nagaland

DIMAPUR — The chief conservator of forest (CCF) and member secretary of Nagaland State Biodiversity Board (NSBB), Supongnukshi, disclosed that more than 2000 flower species have been discovered in Nagaland. He, however, stated that there is still a long way to document all the plants and animals.

He stated this during a seminar and farmer’s meet on ‘Cultivation, conservation and sustainable utilisation of medicinal plants used in Ayush systems and folk remedies’ at Hotel Saramati in Dimapur on Friday. The event was jointly organised by Regional Ayurveda Research Centre, Dimapur, and the National institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Guwahati, Assam.

The officer informed that northeastern states fall under one of the biodiversity hotspot regions of the world with so many plant species, which are not found in any other place, that are yet to be discovered. He elaborated that NE region falls under the Indo-Burma hotspot biodiversity.

Speaking about Nagaland, he updated that through the Ministry funding, the department of Environment and Forest along with the communities have been taking up botanical gardens, herbal garden, medicinal plants cultivations for the last 15 years and is still ongoing. He stated that they are currently implementing in Tuensang, Mokokchung and Kiphire districts.

Supongnukshi said that some people make their livelihood from collection of non timber forest products (NTFP) including the medicinal plants. Since it is not an organised sector, he stated that there are variations in the way the processing and merchandising of products. He added that they are trying to streamline them.

With the passing of Biological Diversity Act in 2002 in the country and Nagaland Biological Diversity Act with 212 biodiversity rules, he informed that under the Act, they are in the process of documenting all the natural resources that are found within the village territory called PBR (people’s biodiversity register).

He further mentioned that with the help of state biodiversity board and community, they are in the process of documenting all the plants species and animal species fund in the village territory. Besides, he stated that they are also documenting all the medicinal plants associated with traditional knowledge system.

During the programme, Prof. (Dr.) Rabinarayan Acharya, director general of CCRAS, New Delhi, and Dr. USN Murty, director of NIPER, Guwahati, delivered the keynote addresses virtually.

The resource parsons of the seminar were Dr. VGM Naidu, associate professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology at NIPER, Guwahati; Dr. Phool Kumari, senior scientist and head ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra  (KVK) Dimapur; Dr. Lanusunep, technical officer/consultant at State Medicinal Plants Board (SMPB); Dr. Pankaj Kumar Shah, associate professor at School of Agricultural Sciences and Rural Development (SASRD), Nagaland University, Medziphema campus; Dr. Prakash BN, associate professor at the University of Trans-disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), Bengaluru; and Devanjal Bora, research officer at Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI), Guwahati.