Ranchi Municipal Corporation is working on a proposal to grow medicinal plants at selected spaces in all 53 wards of the state capital.
The suggestion, deputy mayor Sanjeev Vijayvargiya said on Friday, had come from a city doctor.
“Surgeon Suresh Agrawal, who is also working in the field of ayurveda, had formally submitted a proposal to promote planting of medicinal plants for residents to get natural home remedies. A few days ago he had made a presentation before the RMC and the idea was found worth implementing,” Vijayvargiya said.
“Initially, we have decided to dedicate a portion of each ward office premises for planting and in the next phase selected medicinal plants will be planted at parks,” he said.
The deputy mayor said that the next meeting will be convened very soon to work out the plan.
“Agrawal has assured all support; we will also invite experts of the forest department and Birsa Agricultural University to execute the project. They can identify different kinds of medicinal plants and how to grow these. We will also be able to preserve those medicinal plants which are on verge of extinction,” Vijayvargiya said.
Nakshatra Van in front of the Raj Bhavan and the Bio Diversity Park in Tupudana are the only parks in Ranchi with some rare plants of medicinal value. Agrawal, 67, said for the past one year he was meeting ward councillors requesting them to promote medicinal plants.
“I am a surgeon and run my private clinic. But for the past two-and-half decades I am simultaneously involved in clinical and ayurveda research. I have identified four medicinal plants, Amrita, Harsinghar, Sedwar and Vasak, which can cure 15 types of diseases. Amrita increases immunity and has been declared as the national medicinal plant. The other three plants are quite useful in body and joint pain, cough, fever, hair fall, bleeding, and irregular menstrual cycle. I also grow these plants at my clinic and prescribe to patients and the results are quite encouraging. Sedwar is a typical Jharkhandi plant which I use to cure pain,” said Agrawal.
