A dimension within Forest Ecosystem Decline
This theme focuses on the impact of deforestation on natural resources, forest products, and access to food from forests.
150 voices speak to this
Each dimension splits this theme further — keep drilling to see how it breaks down.
Negative
Overall Community Sentiment
AI-synthesised pieces woven from many community voices on this theme. They may contain errors or interpretation — they're a reflection of the stories, not a record of fact.
Earlier, a lot of edible items were found in the forests that could be eaten and added to midday meals, but now, due to damage to the forests, many things have become extinct.
— Kekti Tekam · Dindori, Madhya Pradesh
The various types of fruits that used to be found in the forest are no longer available.
— KARUKAR MURMU · SKIP NO LOCATION
Old, traditional foods are not available. As a result, the forest was also destroyed. The food that should be available is not available.
— Keshab Majhi · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha
Fruit trees and vegetable plants have disappeared from our forests.
— Kachala Choudhary
Nutritious forest food items are not found in our area because very few forests are left here.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
Yes, damage has definitely occurred. Previously, people used to obtain two traditional food items by cutting trees from the forest. Now, these are not available. Furthermore, there has been extensive damage to medicinal plants, and those are also not available.
— gobardhan pangi
The voices in this theme were gathered by these organisations through their community reports.
What our ancestors used to obtain, now 90% of the forest has been destroyed. With the destruction of forests, the hills have also been destroyed. Whatever materials we used to find, especially food items, are no longer available.
— jitendra khila · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha
Today, when we talk about forest products, things like root vegetables and fruits such as Kendu, Baheda, and Harida, which also had medicinal properties, are no longer available. They have now become extinct or are found in very small quantities.
— Debendra Suna · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha
Now, honey, resin, Aainla (Indian gooseberry), Harada (chebulic myrobalan), and Baahada (beleric myrobalan) are no longer found in our forest.
— Upendra Kumar Mahananda
In ancient times, people used to depend on the forest for their livelihood. But now, since the forest has become depleted, they are no longer able to get tubers, leaves, fruits, and roots from the forest. Therefore, the forest in greater quantity...
— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha
In earlier times, medicinal fruits were found in the forest, but now those things are becoming extinct day by day.
— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
Nowadays, forests are being cleared. We used to get food from the forest, but now we are not getting it. Instead, we are consuming food grown with chemical fertilizers.
— jitendra khila · kudumulugumma, Malkangiri, Odisha
Earlier, everything used to be found in the jungle, but now it's not. For example, banana greens, chakora greens... no, everything is gone now.
— Rupesh Maravi
Forests are disappearing, livelihoods are being destroyed. Forests are also getting depleted, herbs are disappearing. It's not like it used to be.
— Chanda · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We used to get honey and resin from our forest, but now we don't.
— Upendra Kumar Mahananda
Currently, in our forest, bamboo is not found, other wild produce is not found, mushrooms are not found. Also, our cashews are not doing well; the cashew cultivation that used to happen before is also not doing well.
— jitendra khila · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha
It is certainly remembered. Our people are destroying forests. As a result, when they go to the forest, no forest products, including food items, can be found. It would have been better if forests were not destroyed.
— jitendra khila · Lachery, Malkangiri, Odisha
Large trees have been cut down, due to which it is becoming difficult to find forest vegetables and herbs.
— Kachala Choudhary
The herbs, vegetables, fruits, and trees have been depleted from the forest.
— Kachala Choudhary
Yes, earlier, we used to eat various kinds of wild fruits and food from the forests. But now, nothing like that remains. The government some.
— Rakesh kumar Kumar
Nutritious food is not available from farming as before; all food available is cultivated with fertilizers. Various root-based foods are also not available in the forest.
— KAPAL MARNDI · Bissamcuttack, Rayagada, Odisha
In the tribal area, in earlier times, there were many herbs and their culture. But today, due to deforestation, many birds could not even disperse, and traditional food practices could also not be preserved, leading to their extinction.
— Mohan AHARI · Sarera, Udaipur, Rajasthan
In the past, various types of forest products, fruits, and roots were available, but now it requires effort.
— Padmalochan Majhi · Ratachua, Rayagada, Odisha
The disappearance of medicinal plants and herbs; earlier, medicinal herbs could be found in forests, but now everything is disappearing.
— VEER SINGH SIJUI · Kharasawan, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Jharkhand
They have been living there for a long time. Now, there have been changes in the forest. Valuable trees are not found. Animals and birds are no longer in the forest. Everything is gone.
— Trinath badanayak · Malakanagiri, Malkangiri, Odisha
Oh, there is also a distinct language of our Gonda society. And no one speaks that language anymore, slowly it has also disappeared. And now what we used to get from the forest, we are not getting it from the forest anymore, all the forests are cut down.
— RINA BEHERA · Hemagiri, Sundargarh, Odisha
Locally available wild food products that are nutritious are very scarce in our area because the forests here are on the verge of extinction.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
What is not found in our forest. Sarbaria mushrooms used to be found in our forest before. Now they are not. Then, Bausi mushrooms, they are also not abundant. The Bausi (bamboo) plants also died out. And where are our old Kendu branches to speak of now?
— jitendra khila · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha
The forests, animals, birds, and springs that used to be in our forest are slowly disappearing.
— Batakrushna Sahoo
In this village, the forest has been damaged a bit more than before this time. Herbs cannot be collected, and because of that, we...
— Padmini Bhoi
The situation we are in now is that the food we used to get to eat in the past has gradually disappeared.
— swornalata nayak · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha
Our medicinal herbs, vegetables, fruits, and trees are depleting from the forests.
— Kachala Choudhary
Food, forests, and agricultural systems are all slowly disappearing. Among these three, what we miss the most are the forests. The forests that were there before will not be there anymore. The absence of which...
— Sudarsan Dalei · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha
We are not getting food to eat. Brother, the forest is completely depleted. When they destroyed everything by cutting down trees for mining, after that, now we are deprived of things like Charikuli, Barukuli, Kendu, and even bears (Bhalia), including the black bear (Kala Bhalia).
— swornalata nayak · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha
In the olden days, our parents and we used to gather and eat a lot of Barada Saga (a type of leafy green) from the forest. But now, due to deforestation, we no longer find Barada Saga. We hope to eat Barada Saga again.
— swornalata nayak · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha
Producing through traditional agriculture, farming without fertilizer. Various types of fruits, medicinal plants and creepers etc. found in forests are no longer available.
— KAPAL MARNDI · Bissamcuttack, Rayagada, Odisha
The most nutritious wild food items are not available here because there are very few forests around. And it doesn't seem that all those PDFs and such are here.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
Death's auspicious and inauspicious beauty. Previously, we used to sustain our livelihoods by collecting various roots from the forest. Now, roots are not available, and animals...
— Sasmita Mallick · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha
In olden times, many kinds of herbs were available in our village, but in the current situation, due to the cutting of this forest, some conservation efforts could not be made, which means for us in the coming time...
— Mohan AHARI · Sarera, Udaipur, Rajasthan
The mahul (flower/fruit) found in the forest, in the old days they used to make ladoos from it, fry them, and eat them. That has now disappeared, it is not found, and it is greatly missed.
— Priti Majhi
