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A dangerous weed, indeed

Photo: Lingaraj Panda

Agent of disease: The hazardous ‘Parthenium’ weed that grows abundantly in front of the newly constructed medicine and paediatric ward at MKCG Medical College in Berhampur. —

BERHAMPUR: Jungles of parthenium, a dangerous pathogenic weed, have started to grow in menacing way in most areas of the city, including the MKCG Medical College and Hospital campus.

This weed is also called ‘enemy of living world’ by agricultural scientists for its negative effect on human beings, animals and beneficial plant breeds.

The authorities of the college are most worried about the abundant growth of this weed inside their campus because it causes allergy, hay fever and severe asthma. They have also got the breed of the weed inside the campus identified by the experts in Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar.

As per the experts, the weed reached India along with the wheat seed imported from America during the fifties. It completes four life cycles in a year and each plant produces around 8000 seed which have tendency of rapid germination.

Parthenium adversely affects germination of other plants in an area. Its pollen grains transmitted through air are extremely dangerous as they can cause eczema, asthma, dermatitis, hay fever in humans.

Animals like cows and goats usually stay away from these plants as its pollen grains also cause dermatitis and allergies in them.

Consumption of this plant can give a bitter taste to the milk of cattle and may cause its death.

Speaking to The Hindu, Ranjan Sharma, administrative officer of the college, says they have already initiated the process to clean up the large number of bushes of this weed inside the campus. He, however, says they will fail in their effort unless the Berhampur municipality takes up similar effort all around the city to root out these dangerous weed. If this weed remain in any area nearby then within a few months it will again grow up inside the medical college campus.

The open areas in almost all parts of the city are now encroached by this weed.

The medical college authorities have already informed the municipality about the dangers of this weed on health of inhabitants of the city.

But the local municipality is yet to take any steps to clean them up.

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