Documentation of Traditional Salt Production from Saline Water and Used of Plant Resources by Dimasa People at Semkhor Village, Dima Hasao, Assam, India

Semkhor ("sem-dekhor": salt well), a historic Dimasa settlement in Dima Hasao district of Assam, extracts salt from natural saline pits through traditional boiling methods adapted to subtropical hill ecology. While primary saline sources derive from geological processes (Disang Group halite dissolution), Dimasa practices integrate sacred grove plants for filtration, fuel, and rituals. This study documents 12 plant species across 7 families used by Dimasa communities, including Areca catechu (husk ash filtration), Shorea robusta (fuelwood), and Bambusa pallida (boiling troughs), mirroring Naga kezai dui techniques. Five daikho sacred groves supply ritual materials; physico-chemical analyses confirm lower salinity at Semkhor compared to Phullung/Khela springs (TDS moderate; Na+/Cl? ratio 0.85). Use Value (UV) analysis reveals high informant consensus (UV=1.6). Knowledge transmission faces erosion from youth migration and packaged salt competition. GI registration potential exists for "Semkhor Dimasa Salt" to preserve this TEK.