Chitrakonda: A large number of tribal in Chitrakonda and Gunthawada panchayats depend upon bamboo strips to eke out a living, a report said.
According to sources, they have been making various household articles like kula, dala, amaara (granaries), topi (headgears), jhudi, changudi and dolis (large containers for keeping paddy), for years.
However, the tribals carry their finished items to a nearby weekly haat at Kutunipadar village every Tuesday. In other days of the week, people buy their requisite household articles directly from the houses of these artisans. They collect bamboo from nearby forests and make strips out of it, which are then cut into different sizes according to requirement, for making various household articles.
However, whatever they earn from selling these items does not suffice their economic needs, local tribals lamented. Off course, there is a good demand for bamboo-made articles in this area, they added.
The tribal villagers of Chitrakonda area have demanded adequate patronage from the state government like training in bamboo crafts, marketing support and establishing a bamboo processing unit, which could improve their standard of living and fiscal standing.
Notably, bamboo is not only environment-friendly but also available in plenty in the area. Despite its importance and utility, little has been done to develop, promote and commercialise the use of bamboo.
Bamboo is widely seen as a low-cost material for building houses, animal shelters and fencing, but, people lack the knowledge of processing bamboo to make it last longer. This would not only provide them training for making better use of bamboo, but also provide an alternative source of income, local intelligentsia opined.
PNN