ROURKELA: Over 2,700 poor and rural women, mostly tribals, from the Sundargarh sub-division are becoming self-reliant by making eco-friendly sal leaf plates and selling them at a good price outside the district. For ages, tribal forest dwellers have been relying on non-timber forest produce for making plates and bowls. While the utensils made from fresh Sal and Siali leaves are being made for generations, the tribals find it tough to sell their produce at the weekly markets in rural areas of the district.
But now Van Dhan Vikas Karyakram (VDVK) of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Sundargarh has enabled the women to earn from making traditional utensils by providing them training, logistical support and market linkage. Under VDVK, tribal women have been roped in and trained on stitching leaf plates and bowls using machines, said Sundargarh ITDA project administrator Rama Krushna Gond. Market linkage is also being provided to the women to enable them to get a fair price for their products. Plans are afoot to further augment their production capability and convert the cottage industry trade into a micro and small enterprise.
At least 18 VDVK units are functional under ITDA, Sundargarh. Women self-help group members of the VDVK units in Balisankra, Tangarpali, Subdega, Lephripara and Hemgir blocks are engaged in eco-friendly leaf plate making on a commercial scale. They have been given stitching, pressing and weighing machines after training.
“We have 300 members in our VDVK unit. We do everything from collecting the leaves to developing the finished product. We have received machines for making the eco-friendly leaf plates through ITDA and selling the finishing products, said the secretary of Subdega VDVK unit Sabita Majhi.
In a shift from the traditional practice of tucking fresh Sal and Siali leaves with thin bamboo sticks, now the leaves collected from forests initially are dried under the sun, then hand sewed for lining and pressing before being finally put under stitching machines.
The use of machines has significantly increased efficiency with each VDVK unit producing above 1,500 leaf plates and bowls per day. VDVK unit member Pinky Meher said amid growing environmental concern over the use of single-use plates and bowls made of thermocol or plastic there has been natural demand for their products, adding an increase in sales have increased their earning.