A FOREST DROUGHT NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT

Severe dry spells in Indian forests have hit the livelihood of more than 100 million people

- PURUSHOTTAM SINGH THAKUR, AJIT PANDA, ANUPAM CHAKRAVARTTY

FOR MORE than five months, residents of Jabarra village have been foraging the forests for minor forest produce (MFP). The forest in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari district is abundant with more than 200 types of forest produce and the district is known as Asia's biggest trading centre for MFP. The economy of the residents revolves around produce like tendu leaf and mahua flower more than it does around subsistence agriculture. But at a time when agriculture has failed due to a severe drought and the next harvest is still five months away, the forest is their only source of livelihood.