Chhattisgarh minister T S Singhdeo on Wednesday pitched for the use of Mahua flowers, used by tribals to brew liquors, to manufacture hand sanitisers which has emerged as a key weapon to combat COVID-19.
The musky-scented Mahua flowers are in full bloom across the tribal-state and are being collected and sold as natural forest produce.
“The Mahua spirit also has high liquor content and can be an alternative for alcohol used in the manufacture of hand sanitisers,” Singhdeo said during a press conference through video link.
He said the flowers were in bloom and several tribes in Chhattisgarh and adjoining states trade the forest produce that is used as a staple food by certain communities and also brewed to produce liquor.
Sampling of the fresh Mahua flowers of the season is celebrated by tribal communities that observe the Chaitra Mahaparv in the first month of the lunar calendar.
Trading of Mahua flowers is a significant component of the tribal economy, but it is now hit hard due to the lockdown to arrest the spread of COVID-19.
Besides liquor, Mahua flowers are also used by tribals to prepare jams, cakes, and other food items that are sold as minor forest produce.