Flowers that adorn the median on the NH-44 stretch in Adilabad – mostly the Indian Oleander and the bougainvillea – are in great demand

Be it any occasion, religious or otherwise, people in villages and towns abutting the NH-44 in Adilabad district know where to get their flowers from. The wide median of the four-lane road has plants that provide a seemingly endless supply of flowers.

Decked with the Indian Oleander, or gannera, and bougainvillea trees for almost the entire 120 km stretch between Penganga in Jainad mandal and Soan in Nirmal mandal, the flowers from the median are in great demand. While the oleander is used for puja and prayers, the bougainvillea is used for decoration of households.

“The flowers from the median are most sought-after during festivals like the recent Nag Panchami. Such occasions require flowers in bulk,” says Maske Sudershan of Mannu village in Gudihatnoor mandal.

“Not only are flowers in short supply in the market, but purchasing them in bulk is a costly affair,” he points out. “It also saves us the trouble of going to bigger towns for purchasing flowers,” he adds.

While there is no variety for those who pick the flowers from here, the choice lies in the various colours of oleander and bougainvillea.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had gone in for the two varieties as they are weather resistant, and do not require much water to survive. They are also resistant to the toxic exhaust fumes of vehicles.

The flowering plants in the median not only add to the beauty of the environs but ensure safe driving: the plants act as a shield, preventing drivers from being blinded by the direct rays from the headlights of oncoming vehicles.