Better prices, direct purchases transform winter into the most profitable season for honey producers in Silinge village, where thousands of hives now dot chiuri forests.
Despite most perpetrators being arrested and prosecuted, rape cases have not declined, police say.
Historically, the reservoir has struggled in underperforming monsoons. If the reservoir cannot replenish itself sufficiently this year, the downstream effects could be serious.
The indigenous community has been campaigning to conserve Chiuri trees, which provide nectar for bees.