Effect of Stone Crusher Dust on Leaves of Melia Azedarach Linn. and Dalbergia Sissoo Roxb. In Jammu (J&K)

The effect of stone crusher dust, which settles on the leaves and becomes a hard mass when comes in contact with water, on the morphology, micromorphology and anatomical details of leaflets of Melia azedarach Linn. and Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. growing in the vicinity of a stone crusher in Kaluchak area of Jammu has been studied. The observations on various parameters like colour and area of leaflets, stomatal length, breadth, frequency and index, thickness of leaflet, lower and upper epidermis and mesophyll tissues have been recorded and compared with the plants growing at the reference site. Results indicate that the total thickness of the leaflets and the thickness of upper epidermis decrease at the polluted site in both the genera. The length and breadth of the stomata decreases while the frequency and index of the stomata increases at polluted site in M. azedarach. However, reverse of this has been recorded for the D. sissoo which seems to be sensitive to dust generated by crushers in its morphological and micromorphological parameters as compared to M. azedarach.