Arunachal Pradesh Governor KT Parnaik has called for comprehensive botanical surveys across remote and lesser-explored regions of the state to strengthen conservation of its rich plant diversity. During a meeting with Botanical Survey of India (BSI) Director Dr Kanad Das at Lok Bhavan, the governor highlighted Arunachal’s exceptional botanical wealth, including more than 5,000 flowering plant species, around 600 orchids, 75 rhododendron species and numerous medicinal plants. He stressed the need to balance development with long-term ecological security through scientific research, community participation and sustainable livelihoods. Parnaik proposed a dedicated recovery programme for rare, endangered and threatened plant species, supported by GIS mapping, population monitoring, seed banking and habitat restoration in collaboration with the Forest Department and local communities. He also suggested deploying more scientific personnel for systematic documentation and research, and recommended establishing a dedicated botanical garden and community-based orchid conservation areas. Describing Arunachal as India’s “Orchid Paradise,” he noted that the state accounts for nearly 40 per cent of the country’s orchid diversity and called for greater use of tissue culture, orchid rescue and other ex situ conservation methods. The governor further urged the BSI to develop a digital flora and climate-change monitoring network featuring a real-time flora database and ecological monitoring system, alongside stronger public outreach. The meeting was also attended by BSI Arunachal Regional Centre scientist-in-charge Dr Krishna Chowlu.
Arunachal’s Botanical Wealth Needs Greater Scientific Protection: Governor
