THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: How healthy would it be to wake up breathing fresh air emanating from the medicinal plants in your surroundings? And greenly gooseberries hanging in the garden offering a hearty welcome to your eyes and heart. These thoughts can be turned into a reality in your own garden, if you wish. The ‘Grihankanathil Oru Oushadhodhyanam’ and ‘Amla (Nelli) Mission ‘ projects launched by the Pharmacognosy unit of the Government Ayurveda College here in association with the State Medicinal Plants Board are ready to supply plant saplings to the public for free so that they can create a medicinal garden on the premises of their home. These projects were inaugurated at the VJT Hall on September 28. The ‘Grihankanathil Oru Oushadhodhyanam’ project is aimed at bringing the goodness of medicinal plants by making the public aware of their qualities. The project plans to supply 10,500 medicinal plants to 150 homes in the district. Each home will be given a set of 40 plants, including 15 saplings containing trees and annuals. The district will be categorised into three sections according to the demand of the buyers. Each section will, therefore, be supplied 50 packs, thereby reaching the target of 150. Fifteen plants from a list of 25 will be selected in this regard and will be included in a set. “Though it is said that 15 varieties are to be included, there can be a repetition of any variety to make it 40. Each sapling can cost between ` 5 to ` 10, which are provided for free of cost for the public,” says Saiba A N, Assistant Pharmacognosy Officer of Ayurveda Reasearch Institute, Poojappura. The plants to be supplied will be reared inside the Ayurveda Reasearch Institute at Poojappura. The State Medicinal Plant Board has provided a fund of ` one lakh for the project. After receiving a tremendous impetus from the first phase in 2010, ‘Amla Mission’ is moving on to play the second innings. Thousands of saplings were supplied through residents’ associations, schools, charitable trusts, clubs and organisations then. It was on behalf of the project that the ‘Amla’ juice counter at the Secretariat was launched in 2010. A three-member team has monitored the plantings and found that 90 per cent of them are growing in good condition. The second phase, which is a Rs 1.5-lakh project, is expected to supply 10,500 saplings for free. Says Dr V M Leena, Assistant Research Officer, Pharmacognosy unit: “We have supplied 3,000 saplings already within two days of its launch this time. On the inaugural day itself, 1,000 saplings were given away.” One person will be supplied a maximum two saplings for free. To receive saplings under the ‘Grihankanathil Oru Oushadhodhyanam’ and ‘Amla Mission’ from the institute, contact 0471-2340172 from 10 am to 4 pm on all working days.
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