Abstract

Rajasthan is the largest state in India with 50 districts. Out of these, nine districts namely Banswara, Chittorgarh, Dungarpur, Pali, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Sirohi, Salumber and Udaipur are included in the special tribal area called “Scheduled Area”. It is the most backward, uneducated, underdeveloped and deprived area where >70% of the tribal people live. These people are economically dependent on forest produce, agricultural and horticultural crops and animal husbandry. Many of these people suffer from many types of infectious and non-infectious diseases. Dracunculiasis, a disease caused by infection with the human nematode parasite Dracunculus-worm (Dracunculus medinensis), was also very prevalent in the region a few decades ago. Though the disease has now been eradicated from the country, it has been replaced by a new threat, the fluoride-induced health problem called fluorosis disease, which is very prevalent in the scheduled area. In recent years, another threat has also emerged in the region and that is the “Giant African Land Snail Species (Achatina fulica)” which is highly invasive, voracious, and a pest to forest biodiversity or native plants, agricultural and horticultural crops and disrupts the livelihood of the tribals. Earlier this species was restricted to Udaipur city of Rajasthan (India). Now this species is rapidly spreading and flourishing in the villages, forests, and agricultural fields of the scheduled area around this city as this exotic species of snails has developed tremendous reproductive capacity, due to which it increases its population rapidly in a short period of time. If this species continues to spread and flourish in the scheduled area, then in the coming few years it will become another big threat to the tribals. Because this species rapidly destroys the forest vegetation/plants and agricultural and horticultural crops on which the tribal people depend on economics and food. Hence, before this problem becomes more serious and uncontrolled, the tribal, agriculture, horticulture and forest departments of the state and central governments need to be alert. The main purpose of the present editorial is to draw the attention of these departments concerned towards this problem and its solution.

Keywords:Agricultural and horticultural crops; Forestry; Giant African snail (Achatina fulica); Invasive; Pest; Rajasthan; Scheduled area; Threat; Tribals; India