Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: Experts in Imphal are demanding urgent action to catalog Manipur's medicinal plant resources. The state sits in the Indo-Myanmar Biodiversity Hotspot and holds roughly 1,200 species with medicinal value. Currently, the Manipur Science and Technology Council has only documented 400 of them. That leaves 800 species waiting in the wild.
Aribam Guneshwor Sharma, Dean and Director of AYUSH at Khongnangthaba University, spoke at an awareness event held at the university auditorium. The program focused on Shatavari, or Nungarei, which is vanishing from the region. "Manipur is home to around 1,200 plant species with medicinal value, but only about 400 have so far been documented by the Manipur Science and Technology Council," Sharma said.
The event was a joint effort between Khongnangthaba University and the National Medicinal Plants Board under the Ministry of AYUSH. Experts highlighted that Shatavari supports infant health, memory, reproductive health, and menstrual wellness. It also offers antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic properties. Growing this crop on unused land could give local farmers a steady income.
Technical sessions featured speakers from AYUSH Hospital, the MSME-Technology Centre, and the Kangleipak Medical and Nursing Institute. They covered pharmacognosy, entrepreneurship, and therapeutic cultivation. Other dignitaries in attendance included Dr. Mayengbam Veto, the Director of Youth Affairs and Sports, alongside Prof. Naorem Joykumar Singh and Prof. R.K. Gambhir Singh. The group urged a shift toward scientific conservation and value-added product development.
Comments