Rajasthan’s peelu trees to bloom in Delhi

JAISALMER: Salvadora trees, locally known as peelu (meethi jal), found in the desert areas of western Rajasthan will soon be seen at parks, including the one at Sansad Bhawan in New Delhi.
The tree’s fruit is not only tasty, but also has many medicinal values.

IMG Sanstha of Gurugram has ordered its seeds from a farmer in Jaisalmer and will be sown in many parks in Delhi. This Sanstha has developed a nursery at Aravalli Diversity Park in which there are more than 150 varieties considered important from Aravalli and Thar landscape. Salvadora, which is locally known as peelu or Rajasthani angoor is on bloom in desert area.

A team of scientists from New Delhi had come to Jaisalmer and after research they went to Sanvta village and requested farmer Sumer Singh Bhati to send the seeds to IMG Sanstha Gurugram.
Bhati said the dried fruits were sent to the sanstha through courier and will be grown in their nursery after which the saplings will be planted at many parks, adding that there is now demand for the seeds from many places, including Lucknow.

Sanstha’s Dr Vijay Dasmana said he works on eco-restoration project in the entire country and this fruit is called salvadora. He got information about this fruit from farmers of Jaisalmer and he has ordered the seeds. This fruit is an important variety with regard to Aravalli and Thar landscape. The seeds will be sown in the nursery and later the saplings will be planted in various parks.
Another SBK College scientist Professor Shyamsunder Meena said it is a leading variety of desert. Generally all trees and plants dry up during drought and severe heat, but this tree remains green and gives fruit, which fulfills the need of water and other necessary elements. It has vitamin C and carbohydrates in abundance.
Meena said its green shoots and leaves are being used by people over 3,000 years as toothbrush and mouth freshner. Apart from this, its fruit, leaves, flowers and other parts are used as traditional medicine.