More to bouquets than meets the eye

By Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

NEW DELHI, JUNE 18. Watch out! That bouquet coming your way may contain parthenium, a grass-like weed which can cause a variety of allergies. Such has been its impact that Delhiites now have launched a campaign to make florists aware of its harmful effects and initiated deweeding programmes to get rid of it.

In Delhi and around, easy availability of parthenium -- which first came to India in the 1950s along with wheat imported from the US -- has also been a reason for its wide-spread use.

At Vasant Kunj here now the battle against the weed has begun showing results. The president of the Federation of Resident's Welfare Associations of Vasant Kunj, Mr. O.N. Shukla, says some florists have already discontinued use of the attractive weed in bouquets. The creamy white florets of parthenium used to go very well with roses and gladioli sticks.

Close contact with the weed -- which completes its life-cycle every four months, producing 20,000 seeds and 624 million pollens in this period -- is very harmful. Dr. (Ms.) Amita Singh, who was fond of fresh flowers and frequently placed orders with florists, claims she developed respiratory problems and skin allergy due to the weed. ``Initially I thought the problem was due to some virus, but later on discontinuing with these flowers I found that parthenium was responsible.''

The presence of the weed in the local park also led to respiratory problems for her young son. So she stopped him from going to the park and it helped.

Dr. Singh says the weed needs to be eradicated since it takes a heavy toll on the body and reduces immunity levels, making people prone to other diseases as well.

Dr.V.Shankaran, Deputy General Manager of the National Seeds Corporation, learnt about the weed's ill-effects during his posting at a farm in Karnataka, where he developed allergy on his palms and hands. ``The treacherous weed is found in abundance there and most of the deweeding is done with bare hands. This is what led to the skin disease. And it never got completely cured despite my trying several remedies.''

Dr. Shankaran says the weed, which grows to about three feet, is quite sturdy, a great competitor for other crops, and a major allergant.

Having fought it for several years, he says it can be eradicated. ``The weed should be pulled out from the root and burnt. This requires a community movement on the lines of the Pulse Polio campaign.''

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