Uttarakhand Launches India’s First Systematic Plant Conservation Programme to Restore Critically Endangered Himalayan Species.
Environment
In July 2025, the Research Wing of the Uttarakhand Forest Department launched India’s first-ever systematic plant conservation programme, aiming to reintroduce 14 critically endangered plant species to their native habitats in the Western Himalayas. The initiative, timed with the monsoon season, ensures suitable growth conditions and marks a major step in India’s biodiversity restoration efforts.
- The conservation programme is being implemented with the support of the Uttarakhand State Biodiversity Board, and is aligned with international standards like the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List.
- This marks India’s first formal plant reintroduction initiative, aiming to revive species that are on the brink of extinction due to ecological pressures.
- The 14 selected plant species include Himalayan Gentian, White Himalayan Lily, Red Crane Orchid, Golden Himalayan Spike, Doon Cheese Wood, Kumaon Fan Palm, Indian Spikenard, Patwa, and Himalayan Arnebia, among others. These plants hold immense medicinal, ecological, and cultural value, and have been severely impacted by overharvesting, habitat loss, and climate change.
Main Point :- (i) Each plant species is being propagated using species-specific techniques in high-altitude nurseries. Methods such as seed germination, bulb planting, rhizome division, and stem cuttings are being employed to prepare healthy saplings for reintroduction into the wild.
(ii) The replantation process covers a wide range of Himalayan ecological zones, including alpine meadows, deciduous forests, and the Terai belt. Global Positioning System (GPS) mapping is being used to track each planting site, ensuring post-plantation monitoring and long-term conservation success.
(iii) This initiative not only aims to restore native biodiversity, but also sets a precedent for future climate-resilient conservation models in India’s Himalayan and forest ecosystems.
About Uttarakhand
Chief minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami
Governor: Gurmit Singh
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