On brink of extinction, wonder root 'makali beru' set to come out of woods

Hubballi: Makali beru or swallow root, known for its high medicinal value, was on the verge of extinction due to illegal harvesting in the forests of the Male Mahadeshwara Hills (MM Hills) wildlife division in Chamarajanagar.

Now, the root is getting a new lease of life thanks to the efforts of the forest department and local groups. 

According to forest officials, the cultivation of ‘makali beru’ by farmers will not only prevent the smuggling of this sought-after root, but also help farmers earn revenue.

The root is widely used in Ayurvedic medicines and in the pickle industry. The crop is being looked at as an alternative to sugarcane and other crops, which wild animals usually raid.

Former secretary of the Department of Ecology and Environment A N Yellappa Reddy says along with medicinal properties, these creepers play an important role in the rejuvenation of ground water.

Large quantities of ‘makali beru’ were once found in the surroundings of Bannerghatta, BR Hills, MM Hills and other areas in the Cauvery basin. However, unchecked extraction and mining have completely destroyed them, he adds.

One kg of dry ‘makali beru’ fetches anywhere between Rs 600 and Rs 700 for farmers.

Currently, the department has helped the farmers cultivate the creeper on 11 acres of land in Hoogyam range in Chamarajanagar district. Currently, the saplings planted by the department are five months old and are expected to start generating revenue in two-and-a-half years.

G S Jayadeva, who has extensively worked with the Soliga tribe in M M Hills, says that in the last few years, even tribal people have found it difficult to procure ‘makali beru’ for their pickles and medicines.

“Trucks of ‘makali beru’ were smuggled out from MM Hills to Tamil Nadu and Kerala over the years, resulting in the plant being pushed into the ‘endangered’ category of the International Union for Conservation of Nature,” he says.

The illegal trade of ‘makali beru’ often resulted in conflict between forest department officials and local residents. In the last four years, the department has booked nine cases of smuggling, including four in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, and recovered more than 1,000 kg of the forest product. A fully grown tree, aged 15 years, can provide 300 kg of ‘makali beru’.

MM Hills wildlife division deputy conservator of forests Santosh H Kumar says, “Allowing farmers to cultivate ‘makali beru’ in their fields has multiple benefits. It prevents locals from venturing into the forest to harvest the roots illegally and also makes sure the roots are in market supply legally. This also prevents human-animal conflict.”

The department has involved the Large-scale Adivasi Multipurpose Primary Society of MM Hills to make sure that the harvesting of the medicinally important root is done legally.

The department is using the royalty earned, as per the National Biodiversity Act, from the Ayurvedic medicine manufacturers to provide free saplings to farmers.