The beetle and the bureaucrat

Eleven lakh sal trees face the axe in order to exterminate a beetle that is boring a hole into the image of the forest bureaucracy

The lull sets in

Scientists warn that conditions are favourable for another sal borer epidemic. State forest departments are unprepared

GST breather for Sal plates, Sabai ropes

Tax on these two minor forest products, a source of livelihood for millions of tribals, has been reduced from 18 per cent to 5 per cent

Plantations, CAMPA loom large over community rights

Sal trees, which form an important source of livelihood for the tribal community, have been replaced with teak plantations in an Odisha village

FOLLOW UP

Eaten hollow

The sal heartwood borer is all set to destroy sal forests in Madhya Pradesh. But this would not have been possible without the assistance of an …

Chocolate's sal connection

Richard Mahapatra reveals how a chocolate supports people in forests

GST removed on sabai rope, sal and siali leaves

The GST rate on these products was brought down from 5% to nil by the GST Council in its 28th meeting held on July 21

IN FOCUS

Illusive relief

For Nepal's forest users

Inherent faith runs deep

In Jharkhand, sacred groves define social and cultural consciousness of tribal people

1.5 million tribals in Odisha hit by 18% GST on Sal leaf

Forest-dwelling communities have been granted rights to trade Sal leaf and other minor forest produce without any taxation under the forest rights act

Ahead of elections, Odisha waives off sal leaf royalty

Imposition of GST and royalty had together almost stopped the procurement of the leaves, which are used to make biodegradable plates

Terai damming away its wildlife

Orissa's stick is Chhattisgarh's carrot

orissa might well be at the receiving end of one of Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi's pre-poll sops meant to benefit his own states's …

Pine pressure

Pine culture has altered the Himalayan landscape with disastrous effect on its fragile ecology

Follow-up

Sal and siali leaves sustaining tribal Orissa

Orphaned by apathy

Hidden from the outside world, this is the plight of the Van Taungiyas. They were hired during the British rule as resident labourers to plant …

The fundamental shift

Return to the basics: create jobs in the hinterland

Losing shine

Falling profits discourage silk farmers

Identity crisis

Whether bamboo is a grass or a tree is a question of survival for many

Living off leaves

Sal leaf trade has enormous potential but suffers abject neglect

At which road head?

Not the path of economic growth, but the trail leading back to the village is the answer

Sapped for sal seed

Despite abundant produce, seed collecting Baigas earn little