Contractors shun Telangana tendu leaves, tribals face livelihood crisis

Contractors in Telangana are avoiding tendu leaves collected by tribals due to poor quality, preferring supplies from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. This has led to a sharp decline in procurement, threatening the seasonal livelihood of tribal families who depend on the activity for income.

Mancherial: Contractors are not showing interest to buy tendu leaves (Diospyros melanoxylon), collected by tribals and procured by the forest department in Telangana, following availability of quality leaves in the forests of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

Collection of tendu leaves is a Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) activity of aboriginal tribals dwelling in remote and forest-fringe villages of the State, dating back to colonial times.

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The tribal families of erstwhile Adilabad, Warangal, Khammam and Karimnagar districts can generate some income by taking in the activity in summer. They also get royalty from the government for plucking the leaves.

Forest officials said that tenders were invited to buy the leaves in 21 units of the district for this summer. However, barely 11 units were bought by the contractors so far, indicating disinterest among the contractors. A total of 11,000 standard bags of leaves were going to be collected as against the target of 31,000 bags, reflecting a decline by 65 percent this year.

It is learnt that poor quality and small-size leaves, collected in Telangana are forcing the contractors to buy the leaves gathered in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

“The leaves collected in the State are of substandard quality when compared to that of the two states. The size, texture and flavor of the leaves plucked in those states is outstanding,” a contractor remarked.

Considering these factors, the bidi manufacturers are not coming forward to use the leaves procured in Telangana. Consequently, contractors are increasingly purchasing units in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh even as the states are away from the State. Their disinterest to buy the leaves gathered in Telangana has its own financial implications on the traditional gatherers.

The significant dip in procurement of the leaves, however, can adversely affect seasonal livelihood of the tribals residing in villages that fall in unsold units. They regretted that they would lose the opportunity to earn anywhere between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 per day if the activity was not taken up in nearby forests. They urged the government to take steps to ensure all units were sold.

Why are tendu leaves used for wrapping bidis

The leaves are considered the most suitable for easily wrapping bidis and their abundant availability. Their flavor, flexibility and resistance to decay and capacity to retain fires make them unmatchable for rolling bidis.

The tree species is distributed Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh. They are grown in mixed deciduous forests.