Uttar Pradesh govt to develop 800 km roads as Herbal roads
- Posted By
10Pointer
- Categories
Polity & Governance
- Published
28th May, 2020
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- The UP government is on course to grow haldi (turmeric), brahmi, ashvagandha, anantmula, janofa and mashparni — among 34 herb varieties — along national and state highways for their medicinal benefits in the belief that they will “keep air-borne, bacterial and face (skin) diseases at bay”.
- According to Ayurveda experts, the benefits of brahmi include sharpness of memory, ashvagandha has been in use for general wellness, including against depression and high blood sugar, and mashparni’s benefits include boosting body energy, strengthening muscles and increasing sperm count.
- Undertaken by UP’s public works department (PWD), the plan is an extension of flagship Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
- A pilot initiative has already been implemented on busy stretches of the Delhi-Yamunotri state highway 57 in Saharanpur, Ashapur-Sarnath state highway in Varanasi, Panchkosi Parikrama state highway in Ayodhya, the Gorakhpur- Deoria state highway, the Aligarh-Mathura highway via Keshavdham and the Banda-Bahraich stretch in Chitrakoot.
- The PWD note also blames the invasion of “English plants” (meaning non-native species) such as cacti and bonsai (the Japanese word for growing miniature trees by stunting their growth) in homes, offices and parks, and the declining use of plants mentioned in the Ayurveda system of medicine.
- UP has become the first state to implement such a plan in India.
