A group of women weavers from Tharu tribe in the northern buffer of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh are weaving their dreams on looms to churn out magnificent colourful carpets (cotton durries) and an array of grass-woven products.
Under the banner of Tharu Hath Karga Gharelu Udyog – a Self Help Group (SHG) of these tribal women from Lakhimpur Khiri district in Uttar Pradesh have recorded a significant increase in revenues from sale of cotton carpets and handmade wares made of locally available Munj grass such as baskets for chapati, planters, fruit baskets, jewellery containers, table mat, paper weight, coasters, etc.
In 2019-20, they recorded a sale of Rs 2.08 lakhs with a net profit of 80,000. However, this was not possible till a few years ago when these women were struggling with the traditional looms which due to excess moisture caused by flooding of the area during monsoons affected their output and quality. Timely technological intervention and funding support from the Science for Equity, Empowerment and Development (SEED) Division of the Central Department of Science & Technology (DST) under the Union Science and Technology Ministry has come as a boon for the SHG, scaling up the production and ensure quality.
The World Wide Fund (WWF) implemented the technology, reducing the inconvenience caused to the women and also increased the efficiency of operations with quality production through a number of ways.It has also set up a centre for production in terms of technological interventions, modification, and improvisation.
WWF provided financial aid, implementing the technology, fixing the base of the looms. It also added a second set of pedals in them, making them operable by two weavers, thereby reducing the production time of the durries and weaving complex designs.
Wooden shuttles used traditionally were replaced with fiberglass shuttles, which are lighter and more efficient.
Two pulley based designs - Garrari system and Rope roller system were designed to avoid disruption of work continuity while adjusting the thread roller and durrie roller of the loom for getting a blank thread panel to weave, said an official from the Ministry.Arti Rana, President of the Tharu Hath Karga Gharelu Udyog at Gabroula village, said “We used to work in a makeshift structure earlier and were never able to work during the rains.
Now with the production centre in place, the number of working days and our productivity has increased.”
As earnings had been good, strength of the group has swollen from a meagre ten to present 2,600 women, majority of them hailing from nearby villages such as Goubrolla, Mangalpurva, Chandanchowki, Balera, Bendari and Dhusia in the Lakhimpur Khiri district in UP among 42 villages inside the tiger reserve.
They had been traditionally engaged in these handicraft work which has now been channelised commercially, augmenting their livelihood.
Though Carona induced lockdown adversely impacted the income, things have started looking up again with merchandise worth of Rs 42,000 already sold from November 2020 to January 2021. Arti (42) said that TRIFED, a department of the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry is their regular buyer.
For its part, the Government has recognised their work. The SHG was felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016 and was awarded the Rani Laxmibai Veerta Purankar of the State Government.
