Vetiver
Originally derived from Tamil, the word ‘vetiver’ means a ‘root that is dug up’. Its botanical name is Chrysopogon zizanioides. It is called khus in Hindi.
Ancient Ayurvedic texts refer to the use of ushira (Sanskrit word for khus roots) in wells and reservoirs to get rid of the foul smell orbitterness in water. It is found all over India, particularly along river banks and marshylands.
Vetiver is a perennial grass that is now cultivated in over 70 countries with both tropical and temperate climates. Scientists have recognized its vital role in reducing soil erosion, recharging ground water, and absorbing toxic pollutants in water. The grass has also found favour with the pharmaceutical industry because of its scented essential oil that is extracted from the roots. No wonder, the people of Mali in Africa call vetiver a ‘plant that never dies’.
Vetiver is used in numerous products—baskets, mats, brooms, coir netting in air coolers, etc. But the greatest use is in the rural areas where vetiver strips are planted to prevent soil erosion. In the village of Chellagurki in the Bellary district of Karnataka, some 5,000 strips have been ordered to stabilize the watershed area.
In China, vetiver has been grown for soil erosion although it was initially planted in the early 1950s to extract oil from its roots. The man credited for its wide distribution is Richard Grimshaw, a former official at the World Bank who took a thousand vetiver strips from Bangalore to China in 1988.
