Poison weed spells health havoc

SANTOSH K. KIRO

Ranchi, Sept. 12: The green and poisonous grass on the other side of
the state is fast spreading to the capital. But the state health
department and municipal corporation are yet to sniff trouble.

Parthenium hysterophorus, found in abundance in the outskirts of the
city, has spread its roots in the city.

Experts suggest that if the poisonous grass is not uprooted, it could
lead to an outbreak of various diseases, including asthma, trinities
sinusitis, dermatitis, eczema and irritation to the eyes.

Earlier, the grass was only found in the Dhurwa and Nagri areas.

“The poisonous grass is fast spreading and if not controlled it could
cause havoc,” said Nitish Priyardarshi, an environmentalist and
geologist, who is mapping the grass in different parts of the city.

It is believed that the Heavy Engineering Corporation township, Steel
Authority of India Limited, Mecon and Harmu Colony are the most
vulnerable areas as the weed is found in plenty at these places.

Ironically, the weed has also surrounded the office of the Jharkhand
State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) in Dhurwa.

The grass, said Priyadarshi, has already been declared poisonous in
the US and Australia. Though discovered in tropical America, it was
also spotted in Bangalore around 10 years ago.

Here, it was also called “Congress grass” because the shape of the
flower looked similar to the Congress Bhavan in New Delhi.

Parthenium weed is creamy white in colour with multiple stems. It has
small (1-2mm long), black seeds with white scales.

They are difficult to spot and could enter the human system through
the nose if a person comes in close contact with the plant. The weed’s
pollen could cause asthma, too. A single plant, according to
Priyadarshi, could produce 10,000-15,000 viable seeds.

The grass has high germinates throughout the year and a high survival
rate. It can also adapt to any climatic condition. The health
department, the JSPCB and the Ranchi Municipal Corporation are yet to
wake up to the problem.

The only way to control the spread of poisonous weed is to uproot it.

However, Priyadarshi said, workers should be very careful. “If one
cuts the grass, it spreads all the more. It has to be uprooted
carefully,” he warned.
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