The euphoria is over as suddenly as it began five months ago. The oozing of the ‘beer-like’ liquid from a neem tree on Delhi University’s north campus stopped a few days ago, leaving tipplers high and dry.
Scientists of the university’s environment department believe that the rising mercury, which has touched almost 40 degrees Celsius, might have taken a toll on the nature’s free bar. Though they are now testing the sap, it may take up to three months to know what it actually was.
“As the tree started secreting the liquid sometime in November when the chill was setting in and it stopped earlier this month, we think that the rising temperature has something to do with it. Tests are going on,” said David Kothamasi, assistant professor at Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE) of Delhi University.
HT had earlier reported that a neem tree aged more than 50 years and located near the university stadium was secreting at least 10 litres of a fermented white-coloured liquid since November 2016. The beer-like aroma spread as far as 10 feet – sometimes even more.
