Environmental Amelioration through Pongamia pinnata based Phytoremediation

The current trends of global warming are of great concern. It is estimated that an increase of 2.5 % of global temperature would reduce agricultural productivity in USA by 6 %; but by 38 % in India (Sengupta 2013). Added to the problems of climate change leading to increasing temperatures, the world is facing the problems of soil deterioration due to pollution and mining activities. It is therefore necessary to come up with appropriate technologies involving tree species that are efficient in not only cutting down global warming and bring about perceptible levels of C sequestration; but also ameliorate the problem soils. Pongamia pinnata is one such species that is capable of carrying out the soil amelioration as well as enhancement of upper environment