Believers will say yes and non believers will say its all "bakwas" or junk idea. Now how to find out the truth ? Do plants provide medicine ? Has man learned enough about human body physiology ? Does allopathic medicine pays enough attention on "Human mind and body " . Can peace with himself cure a person. How many modern day drugs are derived from plant sources ? Why there is search for herbal medicines, herbal creams, herbal cosmetics ? Can herbal medicines cure kidney troubles ? heart troubles ? stomach troubles ? AIDS ? Influenza ?. Let us study and findout the right answers .

Literally almost all over Jaipur roads have been built stronger and stronger streaching upto last corners of the street. No chance of water going down in the ground water reservoirs. People have modernsied their houses by putting stone flooring leaving almost nil space for "kitchen garden " or "lawns ". The concrete jungles do not hold water. With vegetation on hills almost gone the soils from the hills come down along with rain water and fill the dams. This is main reason why Ramgarh dam is gone, and other dams of Rajasthan are going to meet the same fate.

The population of Jaipur was only one lac in 1947 which increased to 28 lacs and at present is 48 lacs ( 4.8 million) which is more than population of a geographically small country. The news paper reports say that its requirement of 48 crore litre ( 480 million litre) of water per day cannot be enhanced despite the scorching heat because there is no extra ground water and it cannot get the extra water from Bisalpur dam (a dam some 150 km or so away from Jaipur ). The Ramgarh dam which has supplied Jaipur for several decades is dried up.

While observing the comparative growth pattern of some tree species under controlled conditions of a University campus it was clearly established that Cordia dichotoma , Cassia fistula , Albizzia are not suitable for calcareous soils with "hard water " Their observed growth under controlled conditions was very poor over a period of 30 years. However under extremes of arid conditions Prosopis cineraria ( Khejri of Rajasthan) was thriving better and it formed very good formation with Neem (Azadirchta indica) as neem provided pesticides and Khejri provided nitrogen fixation. No wonder Khejri is worshipped in Rajasthan .One has to witness this observation to see the rapid growth of Prosopis cineraria at the Banasthali University campus at Niwai Jaipur.

One finds it difficult to raise trees in the sodic or saline soils with a calcareous hard pan. Some years ago I suggested that Neem and Shisham trees could be successfully raised in that kind of soil profile with limited water availability. They will not be attacked by termites and will grow well . To my utmost surprise one can witness both the trees flourishing on the roadside having such soil type from 40 km from Jaipur on Jaipur Kota road : Chaksu to Niwai and also in Niwai and campus of Banasthali University also. The wood of Shisham is very valuable and is very hard for termite to attack. Neem once established contains chemicals which prevent insect attacks. These trees could be taken for large scale plantation in semi arid and arid conditions on road sides.

FLAME OF THE FOREST on the foot hills of Sariska , Alwar give an impression as forest is on fire due to its organge coloured flowers. The tree is passing through flowering season now. B. monosperma (Lam.) Taub. syn. B. frondosa Koenig ex Roxb. Family Fabaceae (Papilionaceae ) Used Part Fruit pieces Distribution Area It is common throughout the greater part of India, ascending the Himalayas up to 900 m and in peninsular India up to 1,200 m.