Irrigation is a luxury that only a few can afford in Mandla, a water-rich district in Madhya Pradesh. The district receives an annual rainfall of 1,300 mm, which can easily sustain three crops a year. But Mandla residents can barely manage one.

The district is surrounded by the mighty Narmada from three sides and crisscrossed by many rivers and streams. Ironically, residents of this district are dying of starvation, primarily caused by water scarcity. In 1999, three persons, belonging to the Baiga community, died in Kudwari village of Dindori block.

Baigas are traditionally known as "friends of forests'