People depend on wild mushrooms

Expressbuzz, 25th July, 2009

PARADIP: They survive on wild mushrooms and saag. With the vegetables out of reach, the poor people in remote areas of Jagatsinghpur district have found a means to quench their hunger in the inedible forest produce.
In what seems to be a grim reminder of the Kalahandi situation, where famished people died after consuming mango kernels and poisonous mushrooms, several families of Raghunathpur, Naugaon and other areas of Jagatsinghpur district are struggling for a square meal .
More than 50 persons of Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts have already been hospitalised after having a certain type of mushroom while several other have complained of stomach trouble and other related diseases in the villages of these two districts. Many like Parbati Sahoo of Gokilpur village under Raghunathpur block have little option given that the vegetables sell at Rs 15 to Rs 30 a kg.
‘‘With seven mouths to feed and no regular source of income to purchase vegetables we collect ‘saag’ and a few `mushrooms’, Parbati said. Her husband and three children took ill after consuming wild mushroom and were admitted into Naugaon hospital.
Nearly 30 villagers of Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts had been hospitalised after taking wild mushroom. A medicine specialist confirmed that certain varieties of wild mushrooms are dangerous for health and result in stomach trouble.
Potatoes, brinjal, parbal, ladies finger, arum, pumpkin, snake gourd, ridge gourd are being sold in the rural market for Rs 20 to Rs 30 a kg. Farmers, on the other hand, said prices have gone up as many vegetable crops were destroyed by monkeys and bulls.