Foreign Putus Plant Devastates Chhattisgarh's Sal Forests, Threatens Biodiversity

• Foreign Duranta (Putus) plant is rapidly spreading as a weed in Sarguja district, Chhattisgarh, posing a severe threat to native forests.
• It hinders the growth and germination of other plants, especially valuable Sal trees, by releasing toxins from its roots.
• The Putus plant has no commercial, traditional, or medicinal utility; its wood is also useless.
• Extremely resilient, it grows from seeds and resprouts from roots even after cutting, making eradication very difficult.
• Originally a foreign species, Putus has spread nationwide, disrupting biodiversity and natural forest balance.

Why It Matters: Invasive Putus plant is destroying Sal forests and biodiversity in Chhattisgarh, demanding urgent action.