Bokaro: A local man in Jharkhand grew over 300 species of plants without using soil and chemical fertilizers. His innovation has not only become a source of employment but also a medium to protect environment.
Pramod Kumar began his hobby of gardening in his house 16 years ago, which is now converted into a famous store named Adenium Adda. Kumar's store is popular for Adenium plant which is a genus of flowering plants in the Apocynum family. The plant is a native to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
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Speaking exclusively to ETV Bharat, he said, "We mainly work on adenium, succulent and cactus species of plant. The plants are grown on coco peat made out of coconut husk to avoid the usage of soil," he said.
Adenium commonly known as Desert Rose can be grown as a houseplant in temperate regions and is appreciated for its colorful flowers and unusual thick caudex. More importantly, they can be grown for many years in a pot and are commonly used for bonsai.
"The store works on a wholesale format to supply plants to local nursery. For advertisements and promotional activities we use online medium," Kumar said.
Apart from Darjeeling and Kalimpong, Adenium Adda is also famous for plants from Thailand.
Despite using fertilizers, Kumar uses vermicompost which is an organic matter prepared by American Earthworms to provide nutrients to plants.
For composting process Kumar assembles biodegradable waste including vegetable peels and decayed leaves from his surrounding area to create a mixture of soil conditioner.
Concerned over the increasing pollution in Bokaro, Kumar has also increased the production of Sansevieria Trifasciata plant in his store.
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Sansevieria works as air filter and removes at least 107 known air pollutants, including carbon monoxide and nitrogen monoxide. The plant also produces copious amounts of oxygen throughout the night.
"I have converted my passion as my source of income which helps me to earn around Rs. 30,000 per month. I am trying to raise my platform of earning by expanding my business to engage many people into the thought and also provide them employment apart from environment conservation goals," Kumar added.
