Deadly Casuda destroys vegetation

Casuda - a deadly creeper - has been playing havoc with the green cover in Panchkula and its nearby areas for the past several years. Called amar bel in common parlance, the creeper has spread over almost all vegetation and antations over the road dividers in different sectors of the township. Plants, saplings and shrubs have been overpowered by this parasite, thus endangering the ecological balance.

The parasite has gripped shrubs planted on the road dividers by the Haryana Horticulture Department. A majority of the vegetation has started withering as the ‘killer’ bel has sucked the liquid food from the twigs and leafs of these plants and shrubs.

Spreading of this bel has not only started engulfing the green cover but also resulted into road accidents in different parts of the township. Sources in the Horticulture Department said the plants and shrubs had been planted on the road dividers to avoid accidents at night. After gaining height the plants used to be helpful in defending the high beams of vehicles coming from opposite direction at night.

Apart from posing a threat to the environment, spreading of the creeper has become a cause of accidents, residents complained. Mr Ravinder Bhardwaj, a resident of Sector 7, complained that HUDA has recently organised the Spring Fest but had hardly done anything to save plants in various parts of the township which have been dying a slow death due to this ‘killer’ parasite. Earlier, the parasite had spread over hedges and other fully grown plants in the outskirts of the town but for the past three to four years, it has gripped a majority of the green cover in almost all sectors, he alleged.

This parasite known to be fast and best destroyer, was used by farmers to destroy the crops of their rivals. “But now-a-days mischievous children and school students just test the process of the spread of the parasite. They pluck pieces of the creeper and throw these on healthy plants and shrubs”, said Mr Jagdev Sharma, a local resident.

Experts in the Horticulture Department confirm that this creeper has the capacity to remain alive for days without food, it grows roots in the outer skin of the plants at the places where it comes in contact with a healthy plant. The best way to get rid of this parasite is to cut the ‘affected’ portion of the plant, and burning of the infected plants along with the parasite gives the best results, claimed experts.

Mr Yogi Ram, Executive Engineer of the Haryana Horticulture Department, said the department had trimmed a majority of the infected shrubs planted on the road dividing Sectors 10 and 11 last year. He added that the department would trim the infected plants and shrubs after the rains. ‘‘If we trim the infected plants, they will not bud in the absence of rains and the plants may die. So we have decided to trim them in July,’’ he said.