Harnessing Medical Plant for Tourism

Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki has pitched for harnessing of the abundant medicinal and aromatic plants of the state to enhance revenue generation.

"With a forest cover of 82%, we are blessed with approximately 500 species of medicinal and aromatic plants, which, if harnessed properly, can fetch handsome revenues for the state," 

While saying that the indigenous people, especially those living in rural areas, have better knowledge about traditional medicines, Tuki opined that forest officials should conduct extensive research to identify new medicinal and aromatic plants apart from studying already identified species.

The chief minister, while sharing his past experiences at conferences on medicinal and aromatic plants in Hyderabad and in Kathmandu (Nepal), said that Arunachal Pradesh, with its available resources, is capable of becoming a leading exporter of medicinal and aromatic plants in the country.

He urged forest officials to work with renewed energy and do full justice to their assigned role so that wildlife and forest crimes can be completely contained.

He said they should make efforts to come up with innovative proposals for cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants to wean people away from Jhum cultivation. Besides medicinal plants, he laid emphasis on promoting tea and rubber plantation to cover the barren fields created by Jhum cultivation.