KURNOOL: Ethnic medicines are still most preferred way to treat tribals. Tribal communities inhabiting Nallamala forest range still depend on herbs, tubers, and flower extracts to treat diseases like diabetes, cancer and arthritis besides common flu. Chenchus and Lambadas along with people living closer to forest area depend on this system.
Koringa, Uttareni, Vasa, Bilwapatram, Pindikura, Ponnaganti Aaku, Neelanemu, Ada beera, Neeti sambrani, Atuku Mamidi, Burugu, Buddakakara, Kalimi, rela, nela tangedu, Adavibanka teega, kukka vamminta are some of the vernacular names of plants that are used to heal different ailments of tribal people residing in the Nallamala region.
The soil of nallamala in Kurnool region is red with calcareous shale. This region has abundant medicinal plants because of its rich soil, congenial climate conditions undulated topography from 90m below to 1320m above sea level. Soil erosion has been identified as one of the worst problems in this area. An ethno-botanical study was conducted by a team of researchers from Kadapa to gather information of medicinal plants used by tribals in Nallamalla forests of Kurnool district, Andhra pradesh. Sharing the details, the researchers said that information was gathered from 150 people (70 female and 80 males), using semi structured questionnaire. Of which, eight were male local healers.
The informants, except the healers, were selected randomly and no appointment was made prior to the visits. Hundred medicinal plants used as a cure for 50 aliments were documented. They are distributed across 54 families and 93 genera. The most frequently utilised plant part was the leaf (44 per cent). The largest number of remedies was used to treat gastrointestinal disorder and parasites infections followed by external injuries. The administration routes are oral, external, nasal, and ear. This probably indicates a high incidence of these types of diseases in the region, possibly due to the poor socio-economic and sanitary conditions. The medicinal plants that are widely used by the local people or used as a remedy for a specific aliment have higher fidelity Level values than those that are less popular or used to treat more than one type of aliments.
