New Delhi: With yoga guru Baba Ramdev suggesting that tulsi and giloi (Tinospora cordifoli) could help prevent swine flu, Municipal Corporation of
Delhi (MCD) has decided to act on his advice seriously. The civic agency has decided to provide these plants to Delhiites `free of cost' to safeguard them from swine flu.

Giloi branches and tulsi leaves will be given to councillors to distribute them among residents of their area. On Wednesday, MCD had already started the process of distributing these plants among their staff members and even suggested serving tulsi tea from now on in its headquarters in Town Hall.

Said leader of House, Subhash Arya: "According to ayurveda, these herbs tulsi leaves, along with nine-inch-long giloi branch should be boiled at night, along with pepper, till the water thickens. Half-a-glass should be consumed after filtration in the morning. I am sure this will prevent swine flu.''

The civic agency has deployed its staff to collect tulsi leaves and stems of the medicinal creeper giloi from the Town Hall garden and asked them to prepare the concentrated mixture.

MCD has also directed the incharge of its ayurvedic dispensary to supervise the process. The mixture, according to MCD's ayurvedic dispensary staff, clears the microcirculatory system and strengthens the body's immune system.

"Keeping in mind the beneficial properties of the two plants in combating swine flu, we have decided to make these available at the houses of councillors from where residents of that ward can collect them free of cost,'' Arya added.

He said a lot of councillors have already reported a huge demand for these plants. "Considering the huge demand, we will continue supplying them to our councillors for the coming few days,'' said Arya.

The announcement came a day after Baba Ramdev asked people to go the ayurvedic way to combat swine flu and said consumption of the extract of giloi plant, along with tulsi leaves, can help strengthen the respiratory and immune system to keep the disease away.