Prayagraj, 11th December 2023: In a bid to usher in a new era of botanical conservation and knowledge dissemination, the Department of Botany at CMP Degree College, Prayagraj, has embarked on a pioneering initiative. This endeavor seeks to digitally document the rich flora encompassing the college campus and its surroundings through the strategic integration of QR codes.
Under the flagship program of the college administration known as the Green Campus initiative, this ambitious project aims to conserve and digitize the diverse range of native plant species flourishing in and around the college premises.
The brainchild behind this innovative move, the creation, and design of the QR codes, came to fruition through the collaborative efforts of esteemed research scholars Swapnil Anand, Rupendra Yadav, Ankita Verma, and Ruchi Mani from the Plant Taxonomy Laboratory at CMP College. Their visionary guidance stemmed from Dr. Deepak Kumar Gond and Dr. Alok Kumar Singh, Assistant Professors in the Botany department.
Explaining the significance of this pioneering initiative, Dr. Deepak emphasized, “People frequently want to know more about a plant that is in front of them, but even with a Google search, they might not know what to look for exactly. So to ease the same thing, the QR codes would help them to get the details sufficient to provide them with the basic knowledge of a plant.”
With a simple scan using any smartphone scanning app, individuals can access a plethora of information displayed conveniently on their screens. This includes botanical names, common names, vernacular names, plant families, medicinal uses, and vivid images of the respective plants. Dr. Singh highlighted the inclusivity of this approach, stating, “Even students from non-scientific backgrounds can easily access and comprehend these details of a plant.”
The college campus itself stands as a testament to biodiversity, featuring a herbal garden, a greenhouse, and a mesmerizing Navgraha garden housing over 60 distinct varieties of medicinal plants. Additionally, the landscape boasts an array of ornamental and flowering plants. Notably, the campus hosts approximately 20 different types of trees, encompassing species like Ficus, Cycas, Pinus, Ashok, Sita Ashok, Mango, various palms, bamboo, and more.
In a bid to enrich the botanical landscape further, the department has introduced plant species sourced from diverse regions of Uttar Pradesh, including rare species primarily found in forested areas.
Looking ahead, the college administration aims to extend this initiative beyond the campus confines, intending to deploy QR codes in the surrounding areas of CMP College. This expansion will involve active participation from students and teachers across various departments, fostering a wider engagement with the botanical treasures of the region.