This will come as good news for the natives of Assam valley and those inhabiting the banks of the Brahmaputra. A new earthworm species has been developed by the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) that can get rid of the wild aquatic plant Jal Kumbhi growing on the banks of river Brahmaputra.
The plant, whose scientific name is Pistia Stratiotes, is a big menace in the region since it spreads its tentacles right up to the river bed and impairs the movement of fishermen besides causing widespread pollution. IVRI has recently signed an MOU with IIT Guwahati.
Prof Ranvir Singh of IVRI, is quoted in The Times of India: “The earthworm – Jai Gopal – has the ability to eat wild vegetation very fast and convert it into organic fertilizer that is suitable for use in farming.” Jai Gopal, which has been given the scientific name Perionyx ceylanesis, can also withstand different temperature variations and survive temperatures ranging from 0 degrees celsius to 43 degrees unlike foreign species such as Icina Fetida and Udilus Ujini which are used by scientists across the globe and can only remain alive at temperatures varying from 15 degrees to 30 degrees.
