See Full Document Text
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1484
TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.02.2026
Protection of critically endangered plants
1484. SHRI JAGGESH:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to
state:
(a) whether Government is aware that the critically endangered plant Lepidagathis clavata
has been recently rediscovered in the Western Ghats;
(b) whether Government has any plan to protect the rocky plateau habitats of Western
Ghats where the said plant is found;
(c) whether Government has taken any steps to support research and long-term monitoring
of rare and critically endangered plant species; and
(d) whether Government, in coordination with the State Governments, proposes to involve
local communities in conservation efforts to protect such species and preserve
biodiversity in the Western Ghats and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a) and (b) Researchers from Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Western Regional Centre
(WRC) Pune have located Lepidagathis clavata from four (4) localities in the Western Ghats.
BSI, WRC, Pune is collecting the germplasm and restoring it in safe habitats. Germination of
this species has been successfully done at its experimental garden and plant showed good
response. Furthermore, the population study and ecological studies have also been carried out.
Ex-situ conservation of endemic herbaceous flora is in progress and the said species is one of
the targeted species for conservation.
(c) and (d) BSI is working on various aspects of monitoring, spread, ecology, IUCN
assessment of rare and critically endangered plant species in Western Ghats including
Cryptogams and Phanerogams. Several projects are running at various centres of BSI to
conserve the threatened flora of each phytogeographic region.
BSI runs conservation programs and capacity building programs for sustainable use of
biodiversity. In 2025 BSI, WRC Pune, in association with State Biodiversity Board and
MoEF&CC, conducted program on Rules & Regulation for biodiversity use, its conservation
and sustainable utilization at Gadchiroli. BSI also actively contributes in awareness programs
towards conservation of local biodiversity. BSI also organizes environmental events like Earth
Day, Vasundhara din, Environmental day, Plantation drive, Biodiversity Day in coordination
with local schools, organizations, institutes and bodies. BSI also publishes booklet, books,posters and display boards for public on various occasions to conserve threatened flora of the
region.
Further, under the Biodiversity Act, Biodiversity Management Committees are constituted at
every local body at the Gram Panchayat level in rural areas and Nagar Panchayat level in urban
areas including that in Wester Ghats. The National Biodiversity Authority initiated the
programme of documenting the biological resources and associated knowledge for its
conservation at the village level in the form of Peoples Biodiversity Register (PBR). These
registers contain comprehensive information related to biodiversity, traditional knowledge, use
of bio resources and is a dynamic document. This initiative involves local communities at the
grass root level for cooperation in conservation efforts. PBRs are particularly important for
Wester Ghats region in view of its high biodiversity and large number of endemic species.
*****