With many medicinal plants, herbs and shrubs used in Indian wellness system Ayurveda on the verge of extinction, Kerala has mooted the idea of sending their seeds to a "Seed Vault" in South Korea, which is strong enough to withstand a tsunami or a quake.
A team of botanists from Korea National Arboretum was in the state recently to discuss and strike a deal with the government, but a final decision on the proposal will require the nod of the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA).
Authorities from the Seed Vault met Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, with a proposal that the state could send seeds of some rare and endangered tropical medicinal plants for preservation.
According to Dr Latha P G, Director of Kerala-based Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botantic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI) at nearby Palode, the state government is quite enthusiastic about the idea.
"The Chief Minister has agreed to the proposal. Chennai based National Bio-diversity Authority (NBA) has to give the final approval," Dr Latha told PTI.
Built in a mountainous cave, the vault can withstand the onslaughts of any natural calamity, including a tsunami, earthquake and even a blast.
The seeds stored there will remain as the raw material for plant breeding and biological research in the event of a global disaster.
"There is definitely a threat to medicinal plants because of over-exploitation for Ayurvedic and other healing systems. Also, urban encroachments have resulted in shrinkage of the cultivation base of herbal plants.In this scenario, it is vital to preserve them as the mainstay of Kerala's traditional wellness system," Dr Laltha said.
As many as 400 medicinal and herbal plants in India are on the verge of extinction, as per the Red Data list of International Union for Conservation of Nature, she said.
The Botanical Survey of India (BSI), which recently prioritised 359 wild medicinal plant varieties and conducted an appraisal across the country to ascertain their health, has classified 335 of them as endangered and vulnerable due to civilisational encroachments.
