AIMS urges to save Manipur from poppy, congress grass

IMPHAL, May 29
The Director of Apunba Imagi Machasing (AIMS), Dr Atom Sunil Singh has called upon the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister to save Manipur from congress grass and poppy cultivation.
The Director in a letter has apprised the Minister that the soil in the hills of Manipur is poisoned by poppy cultivation while the plain areas  by congress grass (parthenium hysterophorus), one of the most troublesome and noxious weeds, reducing crop production.
He went on to inform that congress grass have occupied most of Manipur’s main roadsides and the aggressive dominance of this weed endangers biodiversity in Manipur as the grass contains dangerous toxins, including parthenin, hysterin, hymenin, and ambrosin.
Skin diseases and respiratory malfunction can be caused by contact with the plant in humans and animals and prolonged exposure to the plant can cause skin inflammation, eczema, asthma, allergic rhinitis, allergic bronchitis, hay fever, black spots, burning, blisters around the eyes, diarrhoea, and breathlessness. Congress grass pollen can also cause asthma (allergic bronchitis), especially among children who play outdoors as well as adults. The spread of the problem all over the body can cause significant discomfort.
Various animals, including horses and cattle, also suffer from dermatitis when congress grass is consumed, which causes mouth ulcers and excessive salivation. This plant kills cattle when fed a significant amount (10-52%). In addition, it causes anorexia, pruritus, alopecia, and diarrhoea in dogs. It can also cause acute illness in cattle when fed and weaken the immune system.
It has been reported that congress grass has strong allelopathic effects on several crops. Moreover, the plant serves as a host for many viruses that cause plant diseases, he added.
He further maintained that Congress grass which was introduced in Manipur a couple of years back, is not native to Manipur and might have been brought here intentionally to degrade the environment of Manipur.
'Because, unlike other drought-tolerant plants that can flourish in any soil type, this drought-tolerant plant is only found on the roadside of Manipur. It is obvious that it was planted by dropping seeds from vehicles onto the roadside. It is, therefore, a form of biological warfare to devastate the soils of Manipur with poppy in the hills and congress grass in the plains', he stated.
Acknowledging the adverse effects of the above, he urged the Minister to exterminate congress grass from Manipur’s soil and take a decisive step to preserve Manipur from congress grass cultivation as well as poppy cultivation.