Ranchi, April 21 -- A collective of villages in the Littipara block of Jharkhand's Pakur district has pioneered a locally-led effort to reduce forest degradation during the Mahua season by replacing fire with sustainable alternatives for flower collection. The initiative, which has already reached over a dozen villages, is grounded in the communities' knowledge systems and has led to improved forest health, higher incomes, and stronger local governance. Every year, in the weeks before the flowering of the Mahua tree, villagers would set dry leaves on fire to make collection easier. While the practice was rooted in traditional knowledge, its frequency and scale over time began to affect the ecological balance. "Fire is not new to these fores...