Lucknow, April 24 (Inditop.com) Tonnes of flowers offered at the Ajmer shrine will now be used to make essence from them, thanks to a project undertaken by an institute here.

“Our project would bring into use several tonnes of flowers that are presently being dumped,” A.K. Singh, technology and business development head at the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), told Inditop.

“We have developed a technology for extracting essence from flower petals. This would be implemented for making Gulab Jal (rose water), rose perfume, incense sticks and other products from flowers offered at the Dargah,” he said.

According to an official, around six tonnes of rose flowers and petals are offered at the shrine daily. The CIMAP project will be launched in the second week of May.

“The dargah committee has told us that the disposal of flowers has always been a headache for them. We have set up two machines there for extraction of essence from rose petals,” Singh said.

He said the project would generate employment and training opportunities for the poor.