Meghalaya Chief Secretary pushes MAP projects for mining-affected areas

CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Secretary Dr Shakil Ahmed has directed the concerned departments to prepare dedicated Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) projects for mining-affected areas within one month, identifying the sector as a sustainable solution to both ecological restoration and livelihood challenges in communities impacted by mining activities. Stressing that the state government is fully committed to supporting such initiatives, he said the lack of funds should not be cited as an obstacle and urged officials to convert Meghalaya's natural advantages into tangible economic opportunities for farmers and rural households.

The direction was issued during the inaugural session of a two-day Stakeholder Workshop on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants under the Megh-Aroma Mission, themed "From Cultivation to Commercialisation: Building a Sustainable MAP-Based Economy in Meghalaya". The workshop brought together policymakers, scientists, farmers, entrepreneurs and government departments to deliberate on strengthening agrotechnology, value addition and market linkages in the medicinal and aromatic plants sector.

Positioning medicinal and aromatic plants as a strategic intervention for regions affected by mining, Ahmed said the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA) had already demonstrated the potential of the sector through pilot initiatives and called for scaling up the effort across the state.

"In the areas which are mine, affected areas, medicinal and aromatic plants are one of the solutions for that. MBDA tried it on a pilot basis; in fact, there is huge potential for doing it. We have funds under the Forestry Department extensively for mine rehabilitation. I request you, in one month specifically for my affected areas, make projects. We don't have funding constraints, and the state government has been committed to this. What is lacking is the willpower, and it is easy to start, but continuing is not so easy. I request you kindly do it within one month. People living in mining areas have livelihood problems now. The MAP is the given solution," he said.

The chief secretary also highlighted Meghalaya's unique ecological advantages and urged stakeholders to leverage the state's favourable climate and biodiversity before opportunities are lost.

"The places which experience a hot climate, then you realise you are blessed. So long as you are in a blessed area, you don't value that; don't be complacent because this kind of natural endurance is rare to get. Even though we are a small state, we are blessed with nature's bounty; the better we use it, the better we use it early. Once you understand the value of it and understand the value that can be given to the farmer and the common man, you will get addicted to it," he said.

Calling for a quality-driven and entrepreneur-led approach, Ahmed stressed that the government's responsibility is to facilitate and handhold businesses rather than directly engage in commercial activities.

"The ingredients you use have to be qualitative, pure, and authentic. This is the easiest way for youths to establish. Government has no business doing business; you have to handhold the entrepreneurs to do it because the government has no capacity to do business. Our DNA is different; please have a graded-scale project," he said.

Ahmed also urged the organisers to involve college students in the programme, saying greater youth participation would be essential for building a future workforce and entrepreneurial ecosystem around medicinal and aromatic plants.

Speaking as the guest of honour, Dr Alok Kalra, former director of CSIR-CIMAP and senior scientist at NASI, emphasised the environmental and socio-economic benefits associated with medicinal plant cultivation. He said the sector offers an opportunity to improve biodiversity while enhancing farmer incomes with relatively low resource requirements.

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