Drive to uproot congress grass: Herbicide spray destroys saplings planted recently

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 30

The spraying of herbicides in an unplanned manner has destroyed a number of tree saplings planted by various NGOs under the plantation drive in past couple of months.

The spraying was aimed at eradicating the menace of congress grass (parthenium hysterophorus), an obnoxious weed that has grown in almost all the vacant spaces in the city. This is considered one of the worst weeds in the world and responsible for severe human and animal health issues. It is one of the main reasons, which causes asthma, bronchitis and dermatitis in human.

District administration had launched a drive to uproot the menacing weed from the holy city starting from government buildings and infrastructure including road sides, dividers recently. Besides manual uprooting, the administration is also using concentrated herbicides to kill the weed.

However, unplanned use of herbicide in not only destroying new tree saplings planted by Khudai-khidmatgaran and Pollution Control Committee. The two NGOs have undertaken plantation drive since July in order to compensate the loss of green cover due to undergoing development works in the city for past several months.

“Government employees involved in the campaign sprayed herbicide in an unplanned manner without sparing a thought for the new saplings and weeds, which are good for maintaining ecological balance,” said PS Bhatty, noted environmentalist and president Pollution Control Committee and Missioneries of Khudai Khidmatgaran. He said they had planted over 12,000 saplings till now.

Bhatty has been associated with the projects since its first day and planted thousands of valuable, environment friendly saplings of shady trees. He said it appeared that the administration did not take any expert advice from the Agricultural Department before envisaging the campaign. The administration should hold an inquiry to find out who gave orders to use strong herbicides, he added. He said herbicides were known to burn leaves and new branches, but not the roots. “The congress grass cannot be eradicated by this way as the roots of the weed will remain intact and it will spring up with the passage of time,” he added.