Weeds are more often a nuisance., and so was the case with Banmara or Eupatorium adenophorum which was the bane of farmers in the eastern Himalaya and Uttar Pradesh. Shunned even by animals, the weed had no uses except for being used as an antiseptic and anti-bleeding agent at times by some locals. However, it is now being used to make high grade handmade paper which is providing gainful employ- ment opportunities in these areas and also has export potential. A green dye has also been extracted from Banmara which is being used in textile mills in place of synthetic dyes. The dye is fast in colour and is also water resistant.
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