Andhra Pradesh - Others   

Injecting new life into Chenchu tribals' quest

K. Venkateshwarlu

A Chenchu tribal showing top quality gum oozing from a tree.

KORRAPROLU (Prakasam dt): For Chenchu tribesmen, the fleet-footed Australoids who could crisscross the dense Nallamala forest hill ranges in a jiffy, finding the tree that yields sufficient and premium quality `banka' (gum) is often a sticky job.

Gum collection and selling being one of the principal sources of income, Chenchus start early in the morning from their `penta or gudem' (habitation) in search of the gum karaya trees deep inside the forest. But they often have to return home disappointed with the gum trees and the yields becoming scarcer as the years pass by. Taking a long trek into the forest skirting this `gudem,' one could see abandoned trees with gaping much-incised bark baring the wood -- tell tale signs of unscientific tapping.

Chenchus' disappointment may soon be over with NGO Banjara Development Society training them in injecting small quantities of 2-chloroethyle phosphoric acid (ethylene serves as a wound hormone) into gum karaya tree proving to be highly successful.

Gum yields have doubled or trebled, duration between two yields shortened and in some abandoned trees have been rejuvenated. "It shows a small intervention can do wonders in pushing up Chenchus' meagre incomes that will enable them to feed themselves better," said M. Sambasiva Rao of the Society.

He and his band of 10 volunteers trekked kilometres to train Chenchus of 70 gudems in scientific tapping and ways of injecting the hormone into trees under a project funded by Sir Dorabji Tata Trust.

Smart move

"I was able to collect just about a quarter kg of gum earlier in a week now I get up to three-fourth kg in four days," says Nagula Bayanna of Rollapenta. Smart Chenchus of Korraprolu injected the hormone into a nearly abandoned male tree. "I was surprised to see the tree yielding gum again that too of first quality," said a happy Kudumula Naganna. Flush with success, the Society plans to cover 50,000 trees. Mr. Rao, who borrowed the technology from the Centre of Science and Villages, Wardha, wonders why the Government departments and ITDA were not taking up such programmes.

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