Bhagalpur people show interest in oxygen generator plants

BHAGALPUR: Keeping and nurturing oxygen generator indoor plants has gained momentum in Bhagalpur region, especially in the backdrop of Covid-19.
Residents are buying and keeping indoor plants, including peace lily (Spathiphyllum), snake plant (Sansevieria Green), areca palm, signonium, monstera, seflora, snow ball and fern among others, which are considered to be scientifically air purifiers at homes and offices.
“The phenomenon of keeping and cultivating indoor plants at home and and in offices has increased amazingly. Residents living in urban settings are now acknowledging the importance of oxygen and pure air amid the Covid-19 pandemic,” said environmentalist Deepak Jha.
Jha, postgraduate in Information Technology (IT) and employed at Bhagalpur collectorate for the past 29 years, enjoys being identified as ‘nature activist’ and spends his free time at plant nursery before and after the office hours.
“In addition to absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen through photosynthesis, many indoor houseplants have been found to remove organic pollutants like benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, trichloroethylene, xylene, toluene, ammonia and several other chemicals in gas forms, thereby, increasing the inside air purity and healthy breathing,” he said.
Dr Hem Shanker Sharma, associate professor in the department of medicine at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital (JLNMCH), said the impure air inside homes, clinics or offices can cause headache, lack of coordination, toxicities from chemicals emitting from inside paints, lethargy, various allergies besides triggering of asthma and lungs disease with the fungal molds growing in damp areas inside the buildings.
“Oxygen generator indoor plants help reduce the chances of many such diseases as they release oxygen even in night hours and absorb harmful fungal molds,” he said.
Chandra Bhanu Singh, head of botany department at Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University (TMBU) said indoor plants are ‘sciophytes’ that need very less sunlight (nearly 20% or even less) for photosynthesis to release oxygen in the atmosphere.
“Oxygen generator plants needing less sunlight are money plants, peace lily plants etc,” Singh said.
IT professional Sushma Kumari said oxygen generator indoor plants are also known to eliminate harmful radiation from computers and television. Hence, she is not only keeping it inside the rooms but also gifting it to her acquaintances as it is a perfect gift on auspicious occasions.
“It is also a perfect Feng Shui -- an ancient Chinese philosophy that seeks to find ecological balance as well as harmony, as it brings positive energy and is stated to bring good fortune, peace, hope, prosperity and wellness that everyone seeks,” said former president of Eastern Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Shailendra Kumar Saraf.