The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Untimely rainfall delays ‘ippa puvvu’ collection

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Wednesday, Mar 26, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Untimely rainfall delays ‘ippa puvvu’ collection

S. Harpal Singh

Resultant moisture also bound to spoil quality of flowers

Mahua trees provide a major part of ‘traditional’ sustenance to the tribals
Trees yield about 1,000 tonnes of flowers, about same quantity of oilseeds

Nature’s fury: The ‘mahua’ or ‘ippa’ flowers strewn in the forest near Seetagondi village as collection went abegging following untimely rain.

ADILABAD: Untimely rainfall during last weekend has delayed the important activity of ‘ippa puvvu’ collection in the agency areas of Adilabad district. Resultant moisture in the atmosphere is also bound to spoil the quality of flowers that the ‘mahua’ trees have already shed. These light greenish-yellow flowers are rotting on the ground as collection goes abegging.

There are about 50,000 mahua trees in the agency areas that provide a major part of ‘traditional’ sustenance to the tribals during the lean summer months. These trees cumulatively yield about 1,000 tonnes of flowers at the rate of 20 kg per tree and about the same quantity of seeds that yield edible oil.

“The quantity of flowers that may be affected by the rainfall may not be much because the flowering is only in early stages. Similarly, tribals have slowly weaned away from consuming edible oil of ippa seeds so the loss of seeds will also have very less effect economically,” contended Dr. Thodsam Chandu, Assistant Project Officer (General) at Utnoor’s Integrated Tribal Development Agency.

The Gonds perform ceremonial prayers to the given ippa tree immediately after the festival of Holi before launching the month long activity of flower collection. These prayers have been deferred due to the rain now. Owning about five trees per family, the Gond and Kolam tribals consider the ippa very sacred by the Gond and Kolam tribes of Adilabad who consider it a ‘kalpavruksha’ because of the wholesome utility value it has for them. While the flowers are dried and stored to be consumed as food the bark is used for its medicinal properties.

The flower is also of considerable economic value to the tribals as they sell it to the Girijan Cooperative Corporation that in turn sells it to purchasers from other States. Tribals also brew the heady country liquor ‘ippa puvvu sara’ from the flowers.

Mahua flowers are shed only during the night and the tribals collect it before sunrise.

Hot climate suits these trees that are found only in tropical deciduous forests.

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