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It’s time to weed out ‘parthenium’

BHUBANESWAR: With the dreaded parthenium weed gradually spreading to newer regions in Orissa, scientists at Orissa University of Agricultural Technology (OUAT) have sounded an alert over its adverse impact on health in urban areas.

“Our team has stumbled upon large tracts of fallow land infested by parthenium weed in industrial belts such as Jharsuguda, Sunabeda, Angul and Chhatrapur. Though, the weed is yet to enter agricultural fields in a big way, its appearance in several cities is a matter of concern,” Sudhanshu Mishra, senior agronomist working with the All-India Coordinated Research Project on Weed Control at OUAT, told reporters.

Mr. Mishra said minute pollen grains of parthenium that pollute environment would cause hay fever, asthma, eczema and dermatitis. “As high as 30 per cent of asthma is attributed to dangerous pollen grains of widely prevalent parthenium in New Delhi.”

Researchers found dense vegetation of the weed from Utkal University campus to Barang railway station. Similarly, vast tracts near aerodrome field and at Uttara Chhak on the outskirts of Capital city were covered with the weed.

“Almost all gram panchayats surrounding the Barang railway Station have the weed shrubberies,” Saroj Mohanty, Associate Professor of Plant Physiology at OUAT said.

Mr. Mohanty, quoting a survey conducted by OUAT, said 0.1 per cent of the total geographical area of four industrial towns had parthenium vegetation while in urban it was estimated to be 0.01 per cent.

The team also decided to inform the Health Department alerting it about the danger ahead due to the weed.

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