BALASORE: Women artisans of Krushnanagar village in Bhograi block of the district are struggling to keep the age-old art of crafting decorative items with local ‘naliya’ grass alive.
Faced with stiff competition from plastic and fibre products and sans market linkage, the artisans are struggling to eke out a living. Earlier, the craft was a blessing for the poor people of several villages in Gochhida-Tegari panchayat as it requires very little capital and provides a steady source of income. But now only around 200 women artisans belonging to Krushnanagar are making the handicrafts from the grass.
An artisan Sibani Behera said, “We create various decorative items like hats, fans, bowls, baskets, toys, pen stands, flowers pots, wall hangings and mats from the grass. Each item is being sold at `25 to `30 in local markets. We also sell the handicrafts to traders from neighbouring West Bengal and tourists at Chandaneswar and Bhusandeswar temples during the festivals.”
Though the bamboo and Sabai products have been recognised by the Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) and being promoted by the State Government, artisans of ‘naliya’ grass products are yet to get financial assistance under various schemes, alleged Susmita Behera, another artisan.
They said womenfolk of the village collect the grass from Kumbhirgari, the confluence of Subarnarekha river and Bay of Bengal, 15 km away from the village. “We wake up at 3 am and walk 15 km to reach the place to collect the grass. Around 20 pieces of grassroots make a bundle and as per the capacity, we bring it to home and leave them under the sun for four to five days to dry. Then the artisans start working on various decorative items and colours are applied as per requirement,” they added.
Assistant Director of DRDA Jitendriya Biswal said he will visit Chandaneswar in a couple of days to chalk out a plan with field officials. Steps will be taken to provide assistance to these artisans, he added.