The rise of witch doctors, quacks and unregistered allopathic doctors as a result of an inadequate health infrastructure is not incidental is a point made by a Bilaspur-based non-governmental organisation using cartograms or maps on which statistical information is shown in diagrammatic form. Using 50 stories that are resonate with rural living, the ambitious project aims to spread awareness about socio-economic reasons for deaths, rather than just medical ones. One such cartogram in a newly launched “Health Atlas”, is about snake bites. Here, Aghani Bai’s son, Dal Singh, who was bitten by a snake, is given a concotion made of plant root mixed with water to drink. Baiga tribals consider the herb an antidote to snake venom.

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