Meerut (The Hawk): A campaign called "Parthenium Free National Scheme" has been started by the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Agriculture University (SVBPAU) in Meerut to raise awareness about the negative impacts of the Parthenium weed, which is a weed that grows unchecked all throughout India.
Vice Chancellor of SVBPAU Dr. K.K. Singh stated: "This is a large movement for which we wish to engage students from across the nation to not only raise awareness about this pernicious weed but also to instruct the populace on how to destroy it by either manually uprooting or sprinkling sodium chloride solution or glyphosate solution on the flowers."
The weed parthenium, sometimes referred to as "killing weed," was first found in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland in 1810.
Its existence was documented in Pune by 1955.
Most states, including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, are currently experiencing its expansion.
It also grows on vacant places and in fields.
Dr. R.S. Sengar, a leading agricultural scientist at the university, said: "Both agriculture and human health are harmed by the weed. In addition to polluting harvested crops, it stunts crop growth and reduces nitrogen fixation in plantations and their flowers. Its pollen contaminates the air, causing both humans and cattle to develop a variety of allergies."
(Inputs from Agencies)