INDIA, January 25, 2015 (The Hindu): In a few months, numerous “sought-after” ayurvedic medicines will be taken off the shelves as Karnataka Biodiversity Board (KBB) is phasing out the use of critically endangered medicinal plant species. Of the 425 plant species obtained from pharmaceutical companies, the board has reviewed 40 species that were put on the red list — that is, endangered or vulnerable species — of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
And of the 40 species, 20 have been declared as being “unsustainably exploited.” The board has suggested phasing them out in a timeframe ranging from six months to two years. For instance, the use of the popular Ashoka tree, which is classified by the IUCN as “vulnerable”, has been recommended for being phased out within six months. Nearly 15,337 tonnes of its bark, taken primarily from the Western Ghats, is used annually by pharma companies in the State.
“We will also recommend that companies be encouraged to take up cultivation of these species, instead of using them from the wild,” said Mr. Sanjappa, former Director of Botanical Survey of India and a KBB member.