THRISSUR: Roofs featuring clay tiles were once a hallmark of Kerala houses, serving as an eco-friendly option that also lent the homes character. However, as concrete roofs entered the scene, the iconic clay tiles fell out of fashion, almost wiping out an entire industry – the factories manufacturing the tiles – from the state, especially Thrissur.
Until the 90s, Kerala had over 800 clay-tile factories, a majority them in Thrissur. There were a few in Kollam, Kozhikode, Malapuram and Wayanad too. Now, their number has shrunk to less than 100, due to various reasons, including lack of demand.
The industry that once employed thousands of local people, now depends on migrant labourers. What’s more, many factories that shut down now rent their spacious plots for film shoots. Some sold the property to developers and realtors. The ones that remain focus on making roofing tiles, fire-cut bricks for walls and flooring tiles.
Ouseph, who runs a clay tile production unit at Marathakkara, said implementation of the Wetlands Act, which prohibited clay from paddy fields and wetlands came as a curse for the industry. “The quality of laterite soil in Thrissur had led to the boom in clay tile industry here. The factories had mainly set up near the Manali and Karumaly rivers, only because of the availability and quality of the soil,” he said.
Shortage of firewood, other raw materials and skilled hands, rising labour cost and discontinuation of subsidy on kerosene aggravated matters. There was a high demand for clay flooring tiles in Tamil Nadu at a time, to resist the rising temperature. However, the emergence of products like glazed ceramic tiles from Gujarat, accelerating the industry’s fall.
The few factories that have survived depend either on the silt removed from dams, or soil from Bengaluru. “Despite bringing soil from Bengaluru, we are unable to meet past quality standards. As a result, we are not in a position to compete with roofing tiles from other states or abroad. At present, clay tiles are being imported from China and Vietnam for the construction of luxurious properties,” said Jose Manjaly, president, Central Kerala Tile Manufacturers Association.