Botanical Survey of India

Botanical Survey of India
Established	13 February, 1890
Location	CGO Complex, 3rd MSO Building Block F (5th & 6th Floor) DF Block, Sector I Salt Lake City Kolkata - 700 064 West Bengal, India
Website	http://164.100.52.111/

The Botanical Survey of India (BSI) is an institution set up by the Government of India in 1887 to survey the plant resources of the Indian empire.

History

Pre-Independence Era

The British East India Company had already established botanical gardens at Sibpur, Poona, Saharanpur and Madras as centres for improving botanical knowledge and experimentation under the local Governments. For example, the Saharanpur botanical garden, which dates from before 1750, was acquired by the East India Company in 1817 for growing medicinal plants. Most of the EIC botanical gardens' work was for the cultivation of plants of interest in commerce and trade. It is under Ministry of Environment and Forests.

The Botanical Survey was formally instituted on 13 February 1890 under the direction of Sir George King, who had been superintendent of Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta since 1871.

The functions of this newly formed Survey were laid down as :-

• Exploring the vegetable resources of the Indian Empire and
• Coordinating the botanical works of the others in different parts of India

For the purposes of survey the country was divided into four Botanical Regions - the East, North, West and South, with centres at Calcutta Sibpur, Saharanpur, Bombay Poona and Madras respectively, exactly corresponding to the centres where botanical activities had been evident in earlier years. The Calcutta unit was acknowledged as the centre of the Botanical Survey of India. Sir George King, who was the then superintendent of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta, was made the central authority in Botanical Survey. In view of this important position assigned to him, he was allowed the official designation of the Director of this newly formed Survey.

Botanical Survey has a rich legacy left behind by some of the world-renowned naturalists and botanists of 18th, 19th and early 20th century. Prominent amongst them are – Thomas Henry-Colebrooke, H. Falconer, William Griffith, Buchnan-Hamilton, William Roxburgh, Nathaniel Wallich, David Prain, J.F. Duthie, R. Strachey, J.E. Winterbottom, W. Moorcroft, J.F. Royle, etc. who made invaluable contributions to the knowledge of country’s flora. Although the plant explorations and taxonomical studies in south, south-east Asia for maximising the exploitation of biological resources of the British Empire choosing India as their base progressed significantly during the British rule but after independence with changed geographical and political boundaries, the need for a more comprehensive documentation of country’s plant resources was felt to pay immediate attention to boost the economy.

Post Independence Era

Survey was drawn for the much-needed inventorisation of the country’s rich floral resources, and Dr. E.K. Janaki Ammal was appointed Officer on Special Duty on 14th October, 1952.

The reorganisation plan was finally approved by the Govt of India on 29th March, 1954 with Calcutta as the headquarter of Botanical Survey of India. The prime objectives of the Survey were :-

To undertake intensive floristic surveys and collect accurate and detailed information on the occurrence, distribution, ecology and economic utility of plants in the country. To collect, identify and distribute materials which may be of use to educational and research institutions and, To act as custodian of authentic collections in well planned herbaria and to document the plant resources in the form of local, District, State and National Flora.

To cope up with this enormous task assigned to the Survey, the following 4 circles were established in 4 different Botanical regions to cover the vast stretches of the country :-

• Botanical Survey of India, Southern Circle at Coimbatore on 10th October 1955 (covering the states of Kerala and Tamilnadu and Union Terrirories of Lakshadweep & Minicoy Islands). The circle has a National Orchidarium, an associated Botanic garden and a Tissue Culuture laboratory at Yercaud.
• Botanical Survey of India, Eastern Circle at Shillong on 1st April 1956 (covering the states of Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura). The circle has a National Orchidarium at Shillong and an associated Botanic Garden at Barapani and Tissue Culture laboratory at both Shillong and Barapani.
• Botanical Survey of India, Western Circle at Pune on 12th December 1955 (covering states of Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra and Union Terrirories of Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman, Diu). The circle has an associated Botanic Garden at Mundhwa.
• Botanical Survey of India, Northern Circle at Dehra Dun on 1st August 1956 (covering the the states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Uttranchal and Union Terrirories of Chandigarh. The circle has three associated Botanic Gardens at Dehra Dun, Khirsu and Pauri, one green, house one Orchidarium and one Tissue Culture laboratory at Dehradun.

Simultaneously, a Central Botanical Laboratory at Lucknow was established in December, 1957 for studying the various aspects of plant biology like – cytology, plant physiology, plant chemistry, seed biology, ecology, etc.- in order to provide multidisciplinary approach to conventional taxonomy.

During the same year (1957), the Herbarium belonging to Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta, which was renamed as the Indian Botanic Garden in 1950, was transferred to Botanical Survey of India and soon this herbarium shot into fame as the “Central National Herbarium” (Acronym: CAL). The Indian Botanic Garden, which till now was under the administrative control of the West Bengal State Government too was transferred to Botanical Survey of India on 1st January, 1963. In order to further strengthen the Survey for carrying out its assigned mandate more effectively and expeditiously, a number of new Circles in different phytogeographical regions were opened as follows:-

• Central Circle at Allahabad in 1962 (covering the states of Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh). The circle has an associated Botanic Garden at Allahabad.
• Arid Zone Circle at Jodhpur in 1972 (covering the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat). The circle has an associated Desert Botanic Garden at Jodhpur.
• Andaman & Nicobar Circle at Port Blair in 1972 (covering all the oceanic Islands under Andaman & Nicobar). The circle has an associated Botanic Garden at Dhanikhari.
• Arunachal Pradesh Circle at Itanagar in 1977 (covering the state of Arunachal Pradesh). The circle has an Arboretum at Sankie View, Itanagar
• Sikkim Himalayan Circle at Gangtok in 1979 (covering the states of Sikkim and Darjeeling district of West Bengal). The circle has a Green House and a Glass House at Gangtok.
• Botanic Garden of Indian Republic at Noida in 2002 (covering the National Capital Territory Region of Delhi). The Centre is currently under the development.
• Deccan Circle at Hyderabad in 2005 (covering the states of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.)

Recently, the Survey has also extended its activities to Antarctica from 16th expedition (1996 – 97) onwards for the study of Bryophytes, Fungi and Algae (except the blue-green algae).

Objective

Primary Objectives

• Exploration, inventorying and documentation of phytodiversity (including non-flowering plants) in general and protected areas, hotspots, fragile ecosystems and sacred groves in particular; publication of National, State and District Floras.
• Identification of Red list species and species rich areas needing conservation; ex situ conservation of critically threatened taxa in botanical gardens.
• Survey and documentation of traditional knowledge (ethno-botany) associated with plants.
• Development of a National database of Indian plants, including herbarium specimens, live specimens, botanical paintings illustrations etc.

Secondary Objectives

• Revisionary/Monographic studies on selected plant groups.
• Qualitative analysis of nutritive value of ethno-food plants and other economically useful species.
• Capacity building in plant taxonomy through refresher courses and post M.Sc. certificate course.
• Environment Impact Assessment of areas assigned to BSI for study.
• Develop and maintain Botanical Gardens, Museum and Herbaria.
• Preparation of Seed, Pollen and Spore Atlas of Indian Plants.
• Repatriation of Indian Biodiversity Information held in herbaria/museums abroad.

See also

• List of Botanical Gardens in India
  • Agri Horticultural Society of India, Alipore, Kolkata
  • Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Botanical Garden, Shibpur, Kolkata
  • Lalbagh, Bangalore, Karnataka
  • Government Botanical Gardens, Udagamandalam, Ootacamund, Tamil Nadu
  • Orchidarium, Yercaud, Tamil Nadu
  • Lloyd's Botanical Garden, Darjeeling, West Bengal
• List of botanical gardens worldwide
• Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)
• Geological Survey of India (GSI) - maintains 2 fossil parks currently
• National Botanical Research Institute

External links

• ENVIS CENTRE (Environmental Information System, India) on Floral diversity in the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Howrah