A greener glow: How Jharkhand’s women are powering Diwali with eco diyas

Ecofriendly diyas made from cow dung have emerged as a unique attraction in Jharkhand this Diwali symbolising not only a commitment to a greener environment but also providing a new source of livelihood for rural womenCrafted by women associated with local mahila mandals these diyas are being produced in several parts of Ranchi district including Kanke Arsande and DhurwaThe initiative has been especially thriving at the Sukurhutu Gaushala in Kanke where around 90 to 100 women are involved in the daily production of thousands of ecofriendly diyasIn the Sukurhutu unit alone we are producing 7000 diyas every day said Roshan Singh who along with Sonali Mehta manages the gaushalaThis festive season the centre has already received a bulk order of around three lakh diyas from VaranasiThe women engaged in the initiative receive 75 paise per diya with several people like Basanti Devi of Sukurhutu Tola producing up to 400 diyas dailyI came to know about the diyamaking activity through our mahila samiti We visited the gaushala and were trained in the process It has given us a source of income and purpose Basanti Devi saidAnother artisan Bina Devi said that alongside diyas the women also make other decorative items using cow dungThe demand is increasing which makes us happy she saidThe process begins with drying cow dung removing impurities like grass grinding it into powder and then shaping it into diyas using moulds Once dried the diyas are ready for the market where they sell for Rs 10 to Rs 15 a pieceWhile the initiative has created income opportunities for women in Sukurhutu similar efforts are also visible in other parts of Ranchi In Karamtoli a selfhelp group led by Lalita Tirki is turning heads with their handpainted diyas and festive itemsWe purchase raw diyas from kumhars traditional potters and enhance them using red and golden paint We package them in sets of 11 21 or 51 for sale at local fairs and puja shops said Tirki who heads the group A packet of 11 painted diyas sells for Rs 100Over the past 16 days the group has done business worth Rs 80000 with each member earning around Rs 550 per day during the festive rush Apart from painted diyas the group also produces Tshaped candles envelopes paper bags thonga and home decor itemsSheela Linda a member of the group said the initiative has transformed the lives of many women who were earlier confined to household duties and financially dependent on their familiesNow we have income training and a sense of community All of us come from the same village and are related to each other she saidThe women credit much of their success to the Maiyan Samman Yojana a state government scheme under which each member receives Rs 2500 per monthEarlier we struggled to sustain our work due to financial issues This scheme has supported us tremendously and helped us grow Linda addedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever