VELLORE: Pottery workers and Ganesh idol makers in Vellore are encountering difficulties in extracting silt and clay free of cost from designated waterbodies. With Vinayagar Chathurthi fast approaching, they have been forced to use the clay they had set aside for crafting the idols.
S Ganesh (53), a veteran Vinayagar idol maker with over three decades of experience, crafts his idols in Salavanpettai, a well-known hub for manufacturing Vinayagar idols. Along with over 70 other families in the area, Ganesh is engaged in pottery and crafting huge Vinayagar idols.
The process begins three months before the festival, with the crafting of idols in various sizes, costing between Rs 500 and Rs 2,000, later sold at Nethaji Market.
Typically, Salavanpettai pottery workers extract the silt or clay they need from Kannamangalam, Keelavellam. On July 8, the chief minister granted permission to farmers and pottery workers to extract free of cost, alluvial soil (vandalmann) and clay (kaliman) from waterbodies maintained by the PWD.
Despite registering on the online portal and receiving allocations, the workers are facing challenges in extracting soil from the designated waterbodies. Tamil Nadu Manpanda Thozhilalargal Sangam general secretary M Kanniyappan (73) said a block development officer told them they could not extract silt from the waterbodies as the union government was extracting sand for a bridge construction project.
He sought the allocation of a different waterbody for the manufacturing of agal vilakku before the Karthigai Deepam festival. Further, several pottery workers alleged that brick kiln workers were extracting more clay and silt from the waterbodies.
V Sivalingam, a pottery worker, said the Tamil Nadu Pottery Workers Welfare Board has not provided them with the Rs 5,000 annual relief fund for monsoon. During that season, they could not continue their manufacturing and sales.
Some of the workers also alleged that pottery machines provided by the state are not reaching the right beneficiaries. "Some of us use machines, while others use the pottery wheel. However, the machines are being allotted to deceased individuals," Sivalingam added.
Meanwhile, Collector V R Subbulaxmi said, "We have provided clay as per procedure in various places in the district. We will verify and rectify the obstacles faced by the Salavanpettai pottery workers and take necessary steps."