Environment News

Neelakurinji Conservation Plan

August 28 , 2026 12 hrs 0 min 37 0

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has urged the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to direct Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to submit annual conservation plans for Neelakurinji.
Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) is an endemic shrub of the Western Ghats and blooms once every 12 years.
It has been recorded across 34 localities in 14 ecoregions, including the Nilgiri, Palani-Kodaikanal, Anamalai and Munnar-Idukki landscapes.
The Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, proposed a species-specific conservation action plan.
Major conservation measures include ecological monitoring, restoration of degraded montane grasslands, removal of invasive species and regulation of tourism.
The conservation plan will be implemented mainly by the State governments under the Development of Wildlife Habitats scheme, with technical and financial support from the MoEFCC.