Malkangiri: This season, being the peak time for collection of Mahula (Mahua) flowers from local forests; tribals of Malkangiri district find it easier to set ablaze dry leaves around large Mahula trees for collection of the flowers early in morning, a report said.
However, forest trees usually shed dry leaves starting from March every year and this practice has been causing forest fires. The flowers which they collect from local forests fetch them good money in the nearby marketplaces. Now, tribals have preferred not to set the leaves ablaze and rather forego the manifold use of Mahula flowers.
According to sources, after dry leaves are burnt out, the ground becomes clearly visible for easy collection of Mahula flowers. Forest fires left unattended by the tribals continue to damage massively.
Vana Surakshya Samitis (VSSs) of different villages toil hard to stop forest fires in their own locality. It is known that, the tribals have now realised the importance of preservation of forests for posterity.
Keeping this in mind, villagers of Namkonda, Kamlapadar, Rampadar, Pahadguda, Matapaka, Katamater, Rengabandha, Titiberi, Tandapali, Singarajkhunta, Gorakhunta, Kusubada, Jhariguda and Ponarguda have come forward to curb the menace of forest fires, led by Sikhapali forest conservator of Sadar range in Malkangiri district Dibakar Jena.
They have vowed saying— ‘Amaku mahula nuhen, jangala darkar’. Reacting to this, assistant conservator of forest Srikant Nayak said, “The change in mindset of VSS members is a welcome step. Earlier, we had been conducting meetings and awareness campaigns, putting up banners and posters to curb the practice of causing forest fires.”
Notably, both Mahula flowers and fruits are essential foods of western Odisha tribals. They also use the flowers to make syrup for medicinal purposes and it has a great cultural significance for tribal people. The typical alcoholic drink produced from Mahula flowers through process of fermentation is largely colour-less and not very strong in taste.
As forest is a vital natural resource useful to all people, everyone needs to protect forest covers in the district, the VSS members said. Miscreants should refrain from causing any visible damage to vegetations through forest fire, they concluded.
PNN