Livelihood option for seaside villagers: Craft items from marine waste | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: Showing the way for alternative livelihood options for villagers in Ganjam district affected by sea erosion and fishing ban to protect Olive Ridley turtles, artists, entrepreneurs, DIYers and craftspersons here on Sunday designed innovative utility and craft items using discarded fishing nets, seashells and other marine debris.“This is a very good initiative with a two-fold goal: to make the best use of marine waste and empower coastal communities, especially women, by giving them training in various skills that can bring in income and create environmental awareness,” said Anisha Adyasha Sahoo of Kalakart, an organisation deals with crafts of Odisha.Organised as part of the broader initiative to tackle coastal pollution and create economic opportunities, participants of the workshop recycled waste materials into attractive products such as baskets, bags, jewellery, decorative items and home accessories.“Seaside villagers mostly depend on fishing for their livelihood. But to protect Olive Ridley turtles, the govt bans fishing for eight months, leading to large-scale migration from the villages. We are hopeful that by creating these products and with proper market linkage, the villagers can earn livelihood during the ban period,” said Tanuja Sethi, an artist and a participant.In the coming weeks, skill training sessions will be conducted in Podampeta, a coastal village in Ganjam, where artisans will teach villagers to recreate these prototypes using locally available waste materials. There are also plans to market the finished products through online platforms and eco-stores.“What we discard often has value; we just need to look at it differently,” said Priyadarshini Das, an entrepreneur and craftswoman.
