Weeds are growing rapidly in the open pastures in the erstwhile Adilabad district and the experts fear that the time is not far away when all the pastures vanish. Even forests would see no natural regeneration as the deadly weeds would inhibit the growth of local species of shrubs and herbs and the all-important green grass.
“We are forced to take our cattle long distances in search of pastures since the last few years owing to these weeds,” lamented Athram Maru, a Kolam Adivasi from Kopaguda village located in the Kerameri uplands in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district.
“Nothing grows under these plants,” he said pointing to the expanse of Hyptis Suavolens or mahavira invasive weed all around his village.
The Hyptis has spread with an alarming rate covering a vast area of grazing land. Further, the weed is also threatening to spread in the forest area depriving even the wild animals of precious green fodder.
This is bad for all the four districts, Kumram Bheem Asifabad, Nirmal, Adilabad and Mancherial, that have a large livestock population, which is in the ratio of 630, 470, 449 and 383 animals per 1,000 humans respectively. The phenomenon is also a threat to the ambitious sheep development programme of the government as the demand for green fodder increased with the arrival of a few lakh of sheep.
“Among the other invasive species found in the four districts, which had constituted undivided Adilabad, are the Lantana Camara and the Parthenium Hysterophorus. These are displacing the native species of palatable grass rapidly,” said E.N. Murthy of Botany Department in Satavahana University, Karimnagar.
Manual weeding
Though manual weeding of the invasive plants over a period of at least three years is the sure fire method to control the growing menace, it may not be possible on every hectare of the invaded land. “Research has revealed that planting native species like tangedu (Cassia) and legumes will avert further expansion of the weeds,” Dr. Murthy said.
Manual weeding has seen some success at Kawal Tiger Reserve, its core area now divided in all the four districts.
“In Jannaram Forest Division, we have taken up weeding operations in 650 hectares at a cost of about ₹3,000 per hectare,” disclosed Mancherial District Forest Officer B. Prabhakar.
