Lemon grass oil is used as air freshener and in skin care products.
As part of its initiative to improve the livelihood of tribal people, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, with contributions received under CSR funding, is setting up a lemon grass oil extraction and distillation unit at the Genepool Park in Nadugani near Gudalur.
The unit is expected to start functioning in two months. It will be fully managed by tribal people who will be allowed to harvest lemon grass (cymbopogon) in Gudalur forest division, where it grows in abundance.
Lemon grass oil is used as air freshener and in skin care products. The principal chemical constituents citronella, geraniol and citronellol are antiseptics and can be used as household disinfectants.
The oil is also used in the manufacture of mosquito repellents. One litre of lemon grass oil produced in the unit is likely to be priced between Rs 1,000-Rs 1,500, forest department sources said.
The unit was conceived by former Gudalur forest division DFO Kommu Omkaram and taken forward by his successor Venkatesh Prabhu. Bengaluru-based Ananda Theertha Aromatic Oils Company has donated `15 lakh for setting up the distillation unit.
“We will engage tribal people from Kozhikuzhi. The revenue generated through the unit will be invested under the Eco Development Committee and will be shared with the tribal people. This is a win-win situation as locals will get revenue generation opportunity and ecology of the region would be protected,” said the officials.
Out of the 14,500 hectares under Gudalur forest division, lemon grass grows on more than 2,000 hectares. The initiative would be helpful for the Tamil Nadu forest department in two ways since the removal of lemon grass from the forest would benefit the free movement of wild animals and also create employment opportunities for tribal people.
Veeramani, forest range officer of Nadugani, said, “The company is in the final stage of installing the equipment. It will then provide training to tribal people who would be employed here.”
Recently, the Genepool Eco Park employed 35 tribal people and Sri Lankan repatriates for salaries ranging between Rs 9,000 -12,500 depending on their work role.
Article Credit: newindianexpress