BENGALURU: The ongoing struggle by authorities to effectively enforce the state-wide ban on plastic can gain much insight from a silent change that has taken place at Kannamangala village, located 7 km from ITPL. A women’s group, trained in making paper bags, has been providing this eco-friendly alternative to replace plastic bags to two neighbourhood malls.
The monthly income of Rs 3,000-Rs 3,500 that each worker makes might look like a pittance. However, the bigger achievement is in terms of a plastic-free environment around and the sense of empowerment it offers to these women who are from a lower-middle-class background.
“This success story began in 2016 when a few members of FORCE-GW (Federation of Resident welfare associations, Communities and Establishments of Greater Whitefield) brought in two people from nearby Varthur to train one woman, S Kumari to make paper bags. She trained other women and today their strength has increased to 10 women,” explained Dr PR Jyoti, a group member and a dentist.
She takes her car around and collects old newspapers from the 1,500 apartments three days every month after sending out WhatsApp alerts. Assisting her is IT professional Lalitha Swaminathan. “I collect old newspapers from 150 villas,” she said.
All the women come to Kumari’s house to collect the old papers. “My husband and I used to run our own powerloom business. But it kept having breakdowns. We have given it up now. The Rs 3,500 I earn is just sufficient to manage our sustenance,” she says. Her husband Manjunath offers support to the team by ferrying newspapers.
B Geetha, a homemaker said that on an average, each woman makes up to 300 paper bags a day. “We take 5 minutes to make two bags. We get paid 45 paise per bag. The money helps me meet all household expenses,” she says. Manjamma (50), who has never worked in her life before, said, “I feel so good that I am employed. I live alone. I invest one-third of the income in a chit fund.”
M Sharadamma, another worker, said she uses the extra income to fulfil the needs of her teenage children. “I used to make Rs 9,000 as a housemaid working for three houses earlier. I make only Rs 3,500 now. But now I work whenever I choose to.”
All of them though aspired to earn better. MK Retail and Rolla Supermarket buy their finished products presently. Lingaraj Urs, Federation founder said, “More raw material and more vendors are what is required so that the women can earn better and more can join.”