SHILLONG: MLCU vice chancellor RG Lyngdoh has stressed on the need to preserve the indigenous medicinal plants while urging the traditional healers to play a big role on this front.
“We need to start a revolution to preserve the indigenous medicinal and aromatic plants. The Health and Family Welfare department can take a step towards bringing about this revolution,” Lyngdoh said while speaking at the two-day workshop on conservation and promotion of medicinal and aromatic plants here on Wednesday.
He also urged the Health department can work in close coordination with the traditional healers in initiating this revolution.
“Meghalaya is endowed with abundant natural resources and this is articulated in its biodiversity. One of the constituents of plant biodiversity is medicinal and aromatic plants,” Lyngdoh said while also stressing the need to start documentation of such plants and works of herbal practitioners to bring in a change in the health care system.”
“Traditional healers have also played an important role in nurturing health especially in the rural areas,” Lyngdoh said adding “We should react before it is too late. People nowadays are losing the value of traditional practices of plants.”
He also urged all sections of people for constructing kitchen garden where they can cultivate valuable plants for their own consumption.
Meanwhile, Principal Secretary, KN Kumar said that medicinal and aromatic plants are of immediate concern as they have always been used for curing many ailments in plants and animals; however, they have not been used judiciously.
“Most if these herbal practitioners reside in the rural areas and they need to be brought in the lime light,” Kumar said, adding “Our state does not have volume despite being endowed with abundant natural resources.”