With Diwali just a few days away, the potters family in Jharsuguda district are preparing eco-friendly earthen lamps (diyas). However, with the ongoing Covid 19 restrictions, they have little hope of doing a good business.
While some of them were found remaining busy in preparing soil and others were giving shape to various clay materials in the earthen machine. The women folks were found engaging themselves in firing hearths and keeping the finished products in proper order. The clay potters of Jharsuguda like Ramesh, Harish, Kanu Charan, Bhagwano and Sukanti along with their family members and children were engaged in preparations of earthen lights and pots in full swing.
Although many potters like them had made a large number of diyas and stocked them during the lockdown to meet the Diwali need, but they are now struggling to get orders. "We used to get good earnings every season but this time we are unable even to cover the cost. The orders for diyas started coming before one month and we used to send all deliveries before festival but the pandemic has ruined our business this time,” a clay potter family's head Jagannath Rana (78) of Brajrajnagar lamented.