Vilayati babul (or kikar) a silent botanical disaster

Scientists point at a thorny exotic weed, prosopis juliflora , locally known as vilayati babul or kikar , responsible for pushing ground water table down and drying up surface soil killing vegetation in In India including Rajasthan's green lands. The lush Aravali green has yielded place to this weed, which is responsible for fast desertification of the Aravali regions, including Rajasthan.
According to a report of Rajasthan Forest Department planted there are a number of grass ‘birs’ in Pali and Jalore district. These ‘birs’ have been invaded extensively by Prosopis Juliflora. To improve the status of these grass ‘ birs’ it is essential to eradicate Prosopis juliflora from these areas. As such Prosopis Jjuliflora is being up rooted out from these areas. Department is expecting revenue of about Rs. 1.00 crore by way and sale of trees. Prosopis Juliflora plantations exist in ravine areas of Chambal in Kota and Bundi districts. These are also proposed to be harvested.
In India the weed was enthusiastically planted in many states just because it takes roots fast and spreads faster, was even branded as a poor man's tree for its hardy trunk, used as fire-wood and building thatched houses. The damaging sides dawned on the scientific community only recently.

Prosopis juliflora
vilayati babul or kikar
On a recent PIL by a few citizens of Delhi and a local NGO challenging the CEMDE decision to fell the weed at the park in the Supreme Court. The court asked the DDA to file an affidavit explaining why the weed needed to be felled at the 630-acre Aravali Biodiversioty Park. Pro vice chancellor CR Babu, who heads the CEMDE team of scientists, said we have made all concerned aware of our findings, explained with documental proofs why we consider the plant needs to be felled immediately throughout the Aravalli range, to grow the native plants and proper vegetation.The weed has tremendous natural growth potentials. Its stem is very strong goes down even beyond 15 meters to suck underground water from the aquifers. It also dries up the moisture of the surface soil, which is why native plants cannot grow. This creates desert-like situations. Wherever its fruits will travel, the weed will take roots. That's ways how it has spread throughout the NCT regions and some states, though it had initially planted it at a limited space. Even its pollens are known to cause asthma.The weed, vilayati babul or kikar , can be found in entire Rajasthan, where plantation and agriculture are not possible. Similar reports are available from Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
A recent report by Nairobi based English daily The Nation said Kenyans are up in arms against the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the UNO for introducing the exotic prosopis juliflora, but not owning the responsibility for damages it has caused. Kenyan National Environment management Authority is all set to move the World Court against the FAO. Similar reactions have also been heard from the Ethiopia, where the weed has been branded as a Devil Tree, casing deserts and famine like situations.
The Israel babul (akesia tortlis) planted in Rajasthan to check the expansion of desert produces same disaster effect like vilayti babul (Prospies juliflora). It is found most harmful for the growth of local plants and grass. Animals does not eat the grass found under these tree. This tree contain more acidic ph value and due to this the soil becomes unfit for agriculture use. The abundance growth of this tree is responsible for pushing ground water table down and drying up surface soil killing vegetation in Rajasthan. The better substitutes are the trees like Kejari, Neem, Rohira, Sisam trees who are most suitable for Rajsthan's climate, soil and eco-system