They do not purchase any mosquito coil or liquidator from the market to keep mosquitoes at bay, but use a potion prepared from seeds of a fruit, kusum, saves them from mosquitoes.
"We don’t purchase coils from markets, as they are costly. Since time immemorial, we are using the potion prepared from kusum seeds. We apply the potion on our body and get ourselves protected," said Daya Sisa of Ridal village, about 80 km from here, under Lamataput block.
According to Ridal, kusum is collected from deep inside the forest. After collecting kusum, it is kept under water for a night and then the seeds are separated from the fruit the next morning. The second step of preparing the potion is to boil the seeds and finally it is ready to use. Once the potion is prepared, it could be stored for several days.
"Whenever villagers go to field for work, they apply the potion on entire body and not only it saves them from mosquito bites but also from other small insects. People in our village have never fallen ill due to mosquito bites," said Manguli Sisa, another villager.
A researcher feels that the unique method of getting rid from insect bites should be preserved. "For generations, tribals are successfully using this home-made potion to get protected from mosquitoes. Tribals’ way of treating disease is exceptional and it needs to be preserved and be made popular in other areas," said Koraput-based tribal researcher Girja Chowdhury. "The forest department should also carry out plantation of kusum tree on a large scale in the district," he added.