Surguja: Ambikapur Municipal Corporation is moving ahead in the direction of making medicine by growing lemongrass in the discarded dump yard and converting it into a beautiful park.
Ambikapur Municipal Corporation had abolished the dumping yard from the city under the Swachh Bharat Mission. The Municipal Corporation has planted lemongrass on the wasteland in 16 acres. This dumping yard has been converted into a garden and lemongrass is being cultivated in this garden. This place which was once known for spreading diseases from waste will now be converted into growing crops which will be converted into medicines.
According to Nodal Officer Swachh Bharat Mission Ritesh Saini, "Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, the 16-acre dumping yard has been scientifically processed converted into a beautiful park. The organic material extracted from the waste has been converted to farmland where different crops can be grown. The first crops we sowed are ragi and mustard seeds. For the last one-year lemon grass crops are planted."
"We have also set up a plant for extracting lemongrass oil which has various medicinal qualities like anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial also for making perfumes. These lemongrasses are sold at a price of Rs 1,800 to 1900. The amount in which lemongrass is planted we can extract is almost 30 to 40 litres per year. It will be treated in all our SLRM centres. We have extracted the first batch of oil from lemongrass, we will expand further and increase the extraction. Nearly, 5 to 6 litres of oil has been extracted and has been sent to SLRM centres for purifying purposes."
At this place, the municipal corporation does the work of segregation of waste, making granules from polythene. Now the corporation is cultivating lemongrass in the side of the park. Ambikapur will benefit a lot from this farming going forward.
"Recently it was used to clean SLRM's compost pit and composed bed. In the future, the Municipal Corporation is planning to do it commercially by increasing the availability of lemongrass. The Municipal Corporation is planning to increase the income of women groups by growing more lemongrass produce," Saini added.
Uses of Lemongrass oil:
This oil contains vitamin E and Vitamin A which are used in medicines to treat eye infections. The main ingredient in lemon oil is citral, which is used in making perfumes, incense sticks, mosquito coils. Along with this, all lemongrass products available are made from this lemongrass oil.
