Deccan Regional Centre, Hyderabad

The Deccan Regional Centre (DRC) was established in January 2006 with the primary mandate to survey, inventory and document the floristic diversity of the States of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Orissa (now Odisha) towards documentation, sustainable utilisation and conservation of plant resources. The jurisdiction includes a coastline, the Eastern Ghats and the Deccan Plateau. Quite a number of rare and endemic plants needing conservation action on priority basis are found in the Eastern Ghats.The area includes many protected areas, two biosphere Reserves, 9 National Parks, 40 Wildlife Sanctuaries and four Ramsar sites. Apart, there are many Sacred groves with less known flora harbouring rare plant species of conservation value and also plants of socio-cultural value. The region is also significant in terms of ethno-botanical information as many ethnic tribes inhabit the forests/hills.The centre has been helping various institutions in authentication of specimens and also joining in explorations with the Forest Department as and when asked by them. The office is now located in ZSI premises and actively looking for suitable land to build its own premises.