Uttarakhand Aims To Become Global Hub Of Ayurveda, Calls For Boost In Herbal Production

 

 

The Uttarakhand government aims to transform the state into a global hub for Ayurveda and naturopathy, which will allow people to achieve health and balance through India's ancient system of medicine. While progress is being made, the Uttarakhand government has yet to fully utilise the abundant herbal resources available in Uttarakhand.

Co-founder of Patanjali Ayurveda, Acharya Balkrishna, said that nature has given a lot to Uttarakhand, but much work remains to be done to utilise its potential.

 

He said that Patanjali is equally focused on conservation, along with the utilisation of herbs. "While government policies support both extraction and preservation, stronger efforts from the government would encourage wider participation," Balkrishna said.

 

According to Balkrishna, herbal-based livelihoods can help counter migration, displacement, and economic decline in the hills. "Uttarakhand's biodiversity is a valuable asset that can benefit both national prosperity and public health," he added. Balkrishna said that the need is to make seeds and saplings easily available and to offer proper training to villagers for improved outcomes.

 

Balkrishna said that he buys herbs across the nation, but would prefer to have local herbs first. "Farmers grow herbs in limited quantities, which is why it is difficult to purchase from them," he added. He also said that if herbs are produced on a large scale in the state, they are willing to buy them at market rates.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of Uttarakhand's Foundation Day on November 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remarked that people across India and abroad come to Uttarakhand for health, and that the demand for its herbs and Ayurvedic medicines is growing rapidly.

 

PM Modi stated that in the past 25 years, Uttarakhand has achieved significant progress in the fields of aromatic plants, Ayurvedic herbs, Yoga, and health tourism.

Uttarakhand has been implementing several initiatives to promote the production, conservation, and marketing of herbs. These initiatives include the Herbal Village Scheme and the Aroma Revolution Policy, both aimed at increasing farmers' income through herbs and conserving endangered herb species.

 

To promote the Ayurvedic system of medicine in the state, 186 villages have been identified. In each village, the production of a specific type of herb is being encouraged. The Ayurveda Department has also distributed herbal saplings to the villagers, with the aim that these villages will be identified by the names of their herbs.