CHAPTER - 4 MATERIALS AND METHODS

Transcription

1 CHAPTER - 4 MATERIALS AND METHODS The work entitled Ethnobotany in relation to health and livelihood security in district Bastar of Chhattisgarh State involves various steps in study like field study in which questionnaire was filled by the tribal s and personal interview was organized, collection of plant specimen, preparation of herbarium and identification of plants with the help of flora. The study was conducted in the year The methodology of the present work was adopted from some of the earlier workers like Jain (1987, 1988), Masih (1990) and Jain & Singh (1997). The methods of Ethno biological studies have been summarized by Roy (1989), was also consulted in the present study. The Ethnobiological information was obtained from Baidyas, Sirhas, Gunias, knowledgeable person, experienced people, medicine men, and heads and local inhabitants of the village, who have knowledge of plants for health and livelihood security. The First hand information was recorded during the field visits to the study area. In field visit information was collected average of two months for each village, while in the month of September-October and November - December two villages were surveyed due to their small size. Field work was done as per planned schedule of field visit (Table-5). Information collected through questionnaire and personal interview on the spot was the basic source of the knowledge in the present study. The methodology of the present study has been divided in to following headings. I. Collection and Compilation of Socioeconomic data of the Study area Bastar: Socioeconomic data of the study area was collected from 20 villages of district Bastar (Table-4). The selected villages were in the different localities in different blocks while some forest villages were also considered for the study. The data was collected with the help of questionnaire and personal interview. A detail and elaborate questionnaire was developed for Socio- economic and ethnobotanical survey for the 38

2 health & livelihood security by taking important contents from the proforma developed by Jain, (1987, 1988), Masih, (1990). Few modifications were made as per the local requirements (Appendix-1). The sample size used for the present study was 20 tribal family/village, hence 400 families in 20 villages were surveyed in Bastar district for the collection of socioeconomic data (Table-4). Socio economic data was collected with the help of filling questionnaires and interviewing the head of the family. The number of family was considered as per the village population. Parameters of Socio- economic study:- 1. Profile of the households (Type of family). 2. Religion and caste profile (ST, SC, OBC, others). 3. Agricultural Land, Crops cultivated and Livestock s. 4. Irrigation and transport facilities. 5. Drinking water and toilet facilities. 6. Availability of Electricity and use of fuel. 7. Awareness about local health tradition among the tribes. 8. Knowledge about medicinal plants for home remedies. 9. Use of home remedies 10. Assessment of treatment other than home remedies. 11. Comparison of cost of home remedies and other treatment method adopted by tribals. II. Ethnobotany in relation to health security in district Bastar : (a) Informants in Ethnobotanical survey: Ethnobotanical survey was done by following the methodology of Cotton (1996). Ethnobotanical survey in relation to health and livelihood security was conducted in 20 villages of Bastar district (Table-4) and information was collected from 400 tribal s (Appendix-2,3) belonging to following category on the spot/ during the transit visit. 1. Village Head man and old experienced person /village resource persons. 2. Middle men or interpreter. 3. Men and women working in the field. 39

3 4. Men and women in weekly markets and in other common places. 5. Local forest officers. 6. Baidyas, Sirahas, Guniyas, Gaytas and knowledgeable women s. 7. Traditional Birth attendant (Dai). 8. Traditional Bone setter (haddi baidh) and Maatipujari of village. Information collection was done by participating in the festivals, social events and visiting their villages, observing the way of recording folklores. Interviews were also conducted with Tribal families of prominent tribes like Muriya, Mariya, Bhatra, Gonds and Halbas in the study area. (b) Method of study: Ethnobotanical studies were conducted in the 20 villages of district Bastar in Chhattisgarh state. All the villages were regularly visited (Table-5) and data was recorded by using following methods. 1. Personal visits: Personal visits were made to the area selected for the study in all the seasons. 2. Personal Interviews: Personal interviews were conducted with the knowledgeable persons, viz. Village men, Baidyas, Sirahas, Guniyas Birth attendants, Traditional Bone setters, traditional Ophthalmologists Matipujaris etc. Information s were collected by asking questions in interview session in their own dialect. Data was also recorded during the field visits in groups. Help was also taken from the forest officers posted in the area. Interviews were also conducted with rural development professionals working in the study area. (c) Documentation of Local health traditions for different ailments: Local health tradition of tribles in study area Bastar was documented with the help of questionnaire. The method of data collection was similar as was done for socio economic and ethnobotanical studies. The questionnaire was filled by Halba, Gond, Muriya, Mariya, Bhatara tribes living in the study area. Information was also collected from all the tribes by conducting interviews and the collected information on local health tradition was documented. 40

4 (d) Documentation of traditional knowledge of health security collected from folk healers and Baidyas /Traditional health practioners: The documentation of traditional knowledge of folk healers and Baidyas was recorded by making personal visits and interviews. It was observed that the knowledge of herbal drugs amongst the tribal community had very less difference, but the medicine man commonly known as Gunia possess valuable information on herbal drugs. Tribal people have absolute faith in the medicine man and their indigenous system of medicine and treatment. The information was collected in village as well as by making transit visit to the forest of the study area. The traditional knowledge of health security was collected disease wise use of local plants. The documentation of the information given by folk healers and Baidyas was documented under following heads: 1. Name of the disease. 2. Name of the plant 3. Vernacular name. 4. Family name 5. Plant part used. 6. Habit of the plant 7. Other ingredients used. 8. Drug preparation. 9. Drug application and its effectiveness. 10. Cost of treatment / episode. (e) Documentation of drug preparation practiced by tribal s in Bastar: The Baidyas and folk healers of the area were interviewed individually for collection of information regarding the preparation of drug and its administration against diseases. Information was documented disease wise use of plant/plant parts for the preparation of drug. The cost of the treatment per episode/per disease was also noted. The information was cross checked by the other informants in the same locality for verification of medicinal claims by the tribals. This practice resulted credibility of data regarding the use of plants and statements of informants. 41

5 III. Ethnobotany in relation to livelihood security in district Bastar: Tribal People were interviewed during the visits for documentation of plants widely used for livelihood Security. The information of plants was collected under the heads of food, fodder and fuel and Non timber forest produces (NTFPs) (Appendix-2). Local and nearby market were also surveyed for marketing of collected materials from forest. Local vendors who purchases forest produces at market were surveyed. Market assessment was also done for per season total collection of NTFPs material, demand and the cost of the material in rupees. Information was also collected about the income from forest produce. Weekly markets were also visited during the survey to authenticate the data provided by the villagers and kochiya. Informants, market and products were photographed during the visit. Identification and use of Medicinal Plants: Plant samples and plant parts collected during the survey were preserved as herbarium specimens, and voucher specimen. The plant samples were identified with the help of published, authentic literature. The Flora of British India, Vol. I-VII by Hooker (1872, 1879), Cooke (1967), Panigrahi and Murti (1989) and Gamble (1935) and Bore (1960), have been consulted for the identification of plant sample. Some photographs were also taken during the field survey of the plants, plants parts, tribal s life style, their plant related activities and collection of non timber forest produces (NTFPs) in the forests of Bastar district. Beside that some indigenous technology and equipments were also recorded in the field. In prepared herbarium plants were arranged by following Bentham & Hookers system of classification ( ), Botanical name followed by their family and their habit. IV. Study of Conservation practices of Tribal s in Bastar: In study area, tribal s were found to use both in-situ and ex-situ mode of plant conservation. Conservation practices of tribal s like Muriya, Bhatara, Mariya, Gond, Halba were observed and recorded during the ethnobotanical studies. Conservation practices were also observed during the traditional methods of collection of NTFPs (Non timber forest produces). In-situ conservation was observed during the festivals 42

6 of sacred trees like Amus Tihar (Hareli), Pora Tihar, Jatra, Mati Tihar, Diyari Tihar, Amla nawmi, Dashera etc. Ex- Situ conservation was observed by visiting the nurseries developed in forest and bari or backyard of house in the form of a home herbal gardens and in some villages tribal s had established a temple garden and named it Devguri. These places were also visited and conserved plant species were noted. Table-4: List of villages in Bastar district selected for the study. S.N. Name of village Number of families studied 1 Ghodasora Jhhatiban Bhimabhata Manjhhapara Parchhipara 98 6 Gaintapara 40 7 Platpara 41 8 Kandbeda 55 9 Konadidihi Bhandarwandi Bailgaon Painsara Bhumka Hirri Phupgaon Pandeypara Pathraguda Belbhata Bajarpara Kondabeda 79 Total number of families studied

7 Table-5: Field Survey Schedule during the year S. N. Field survey schedule Name of the Village 1 Mar Apr 06 Ghodasora 2 May Jun 06 Jhhatiban Date of Field survey Mar 06-1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Apr 06-3, 4, 5, 6, 7 May 06-5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Jun 06-1, 2, 3, 4, 5 No. of trips and details 3 Jul Aug 06 Bhimabhata Jul 06-6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Aug 06-11, 12, 13, 14 4 Sep Oct 06 Manjhhapara 5 Nov Dec 06 Parchhipara 6 Jan Feb 07 Gaintapara Sep 06-3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Oct 06-15, 16, 17, 18, 19 Nov 06-1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Dec 06-11, 12, 13, 14, 15 Jan 07-4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Feb 07-7, 8, 9, 10, 11 7 Mar Apr 07 Platpara and Belbhata Mar 07-1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Apr 07-15, 16, 17, 18 8 May Jun 07 Kandbeda May 07-6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Jun 07-12, 13, 14, 15 9 Jul Aug 07 Konadidihi Jul 07-1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Aug 08-25, 26, 27, Sep Oct 07 Bhandarwandi 11 Nov Dec 07 Bailgaon 12 Jan Feb 08 Painsara Sep 07-2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Oct 07-12, 13, 14, 15, 16 Nov 07-7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Dec 08-3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Jan 08-8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Feb 08-13, 14, 15, 16 44

8 S. N. Field survey schedule Name of the Village Date of Field survey No. of trips and details 13 Mar Apr 08 Bhumka 14 May Jun 08 Hirri Mar 08-1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Apr 08-25, 26, 27, 28, 29 May 08-15, 16, 17, 18 Jun 08-4, 5, 6, 7, 8 15 Jul Aug 08 Phupgaon Jul 08-7, 8, 9, 10, 11 Aug 08-24, 25, 26, 27, Sep Oct 08 Pandeypara and Kondabera Sep 08-6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Oct 08-12, 13, 14, Nov Dec 08 Pathraguda and Bajarpara Nov 08-3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Dec 08-25, 26, 27, 28, 29,