Bahugana against eucalyptus plantation in Punjab

Jalandhar, Sep 22 (UNI) Noted Environmentalist Sunder Lal Bahuguna today cautioned farmers of Punjab against planting eucalyptus trees and excessive use of fertilisers for achieving the bumper crop.

Talking to reporters here, Mr Bahuguna said he had noticed the craze for eucalyptus plants here but this plant was not suitable for a state like Punjab as it consumed a huge quantity of waters.

He said ''One eucalyptus tree transpires about 80 gallons of water every day. Its plantation is suitable only in water-logged or muddy regions.'' Speaking at the Nature Conservation Festival function in Jalandhar Cantonmment here, Mr Bahuguna said excessive use of fertilisers by farmers in the United States had badly damaged the quality of soil, which had been posing serious problems to them. Similarly, it could also prove suicidal for the farmers here in due course of time.

He said India's heritage had treated the soil as sacred, but nowadays, farmers in greed of achieving the bumper crop have been using excessive fertilisers which has adversely affected its quality.

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