Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

A ‘tower’ing problem indeed

Photo: K.R. Deepak

badly hit: Annual production of honey has come down from 3,000 to a mere 1,000 quintals this year. —

VISAKHAPATNAM: Honey! The very mention of the name tickles the taste buds. Above all, it has excellent medicinal properties. It is extensively used in Ayurvedic medicines. But, for a variety of reasons, both man-made and natural, its production has come down drastically.

According to Girijan Cooperative Corporation sources, annual production had come down from 3,000 to a mere 1,000 quintals this year. The production from each ‘comb’ (tenepattu in Telugu) came down from 5 kg to just 2 kg. Bees which carry honey are very sensitive. They need amiable ambience to multiply and produce honey. A major reason for the reduction of the production is the dwindling population of bees. Shortage of flora has its impact on the population of bees.

Cell towers which are being erected in the forest areas are another reason for the reduced production of honey. It sounds surprising but is a fact.

According to authorities, bees in groups leave their ‘colonies’ in search of food and come back with bellyfuls of pollen. But because of the vibrations produced by the cell towers, they get disturbed and migrate to other areas. This, according to authorities, results in the twin tragedies of death of baby bees for want of food and depletion and destruction of the hives. We hade no control over this, said a senior official of the GCC.

According to Radhakrishna, Officer on Special Duty, GCC, in the eighties the major honey-producing area was Chintapalli in Visakhapatnam district. But now we depend more on Rayalaseema and Telangana areas.

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