A dimension within Water & Food Security
Explores the links between deforestation, drought, water scarcity, and agricultural practices.
150 voices speak to this
Negative
Overall Community Sentiment
Due to forests being destroyed day by day and the lack of proper rainfall, agriculture is not doing well.
— Suna Majhi
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
Due to deforestation, we are unable to cultivate properly. It is not raining.
— Karunakar Uthansing · Dhusarigan, Kandhamal, Odisha
Due to excessive deforestation, we specifically have a shortage of water. Also, there is a significant shortage of food and fruits.
— Karunakar Uthansing · Maradipanga, Kandhamal, Odisha
They do farming without water, but now it has decreased, it doesn't ripen.
— Kachala Choudhary
Our farming activities are affected by a lack of water.
— SUSANTA PATTNAYAK · Adaba, Gajapati, Odisha
Large trees have been cut down, due to which it is becoming difficult to find forest vegetables and herbs.
— Kachala Choudhary
The environment was good before, now it doesn't rain on time, due to which farming is not good.
— Upendra Kumar Mahananda
It is only due to your (mere) invitation/request that there is a lack of trees and plants on the hills. As a result, we are not getting rain on time. Also, due to deforestation, wood, leaves, or roots, which were helpful for our survival, are not available. Therefore, we request the government to plant trees and plants in our forests as part of afforestation. And if some assistance was provided, it would have been good. Proper management.
— Subash Sabhasundar · Maradipanga, Kandhamal, Odisha
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
There is a borewell problem in our village. Due to the unavailability of water easily in the fields, we are unable to grow a second crop.
— Amar Lal Dhurwey
Herbs are running out, water and forests are getting depleted.
— Vinita Singh Yadav · Mukasim, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
The people of the village are not allowed to enter the forest for their needs of wood, roots/tubers, or medicinal herbs. So, this is the problem.
— Amar Lal Dhurwey
Nutritious forest food items are not found in our area because very few forests are left here.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
Due to living in the forest and lack of water.
— Sunita Kumari · Ghorawal, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Villagers are not allowed to enter the forest. They have to go there for their needs, whether it's wood, tubers, or medicinal herbs. The forest is a problem, as they are not allowed to enter it.
— Amar Lal Dhurwey
The herbs, vegetables, fruits, and trees have been depleted from the forest.
— Kachala Choudhary
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
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
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
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
There is a water shortage in our Odisha. If this is not resolved, farming will not be good.
— SUSANTA PATTNAYAK · Adaba, Gajapati, 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
Today, the forest's food, especially its fruits, is experiencing the greatest scarcity.
— Priti Majhi · Subdega, Sundargarh, Odisha
Due to the lack of soil moisture in our village, we are facing difficulty in cultivating a second crop.
— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
People have been living here in Amangara for many years. The forest has been much more damaged now than before. Because of this, we could not collect any medicinal herbs from the forest.
— Padmini Bhoi
Fruit trees and vegetable plants have disappeared from our forests.
— Kachala Choudhary
This time, we are not receiving seeds from the agriculture department, which is a problem. We need to get some seeds from the agriculture department.
— Amar Lal Dhurwey
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
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
There is a lack of cultivation in our village.
— SUSANTA PATTNAYAK · Adaba, Gajapati, 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 our region, forest food items that are nutritious are not found in such a way, due to which we cannot include them in PDS and mid-day meals.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
For us, due to this forest being depleted, there are all these types of dry wood, resin, and charcoal.
— Upendra Kumar Mahananda
Today, there is the most severe shortage of forest food, Kul, and fruits.
— Priti Majhi · Subdega, Sundargarh, Odisha
Our medicinal herbs, vegetables, fruits, and trees are depleting from the forests.
— Kachala Choudhary
In our area, forest produce is not available like in PDS and MDM. It is better to cultivate organic nutrition gardens in every family and school.
— Krishna pada mahato · Purulia, West Bengal
Farming is done without irrigation, but in years with low rainfall, there is no good harvest and the seeds also do not ripen.
— Upendra Kumar Mahananda
Forest land has been lost.
— अमर जीत · Kon, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
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.
Residents of Maradipanga voice their daily struggles and collective aspirations for government assistance to cultivate better livelihoods, restore their environment, and build a more developed future.
Mangar Bani struggled with persistent air pollution despite a lack of fires.
Faced with the loss of their natural forest, a community took action to plant a new one specifically for medicinal herbs.
In remote mountain forests, a community navigates daily life, preserving ancient crops and adapting cultural traditions amidst evolving times.
