Padma Patnaik

It is estimated by the Government that the cyclone Fani has damaged around 1,159,000 coconut trees in 6,625 hectares of land in Puri district. The worst affected are the major coconut producing areas of Sakhigopal, Brahmagiri, Nimapada, Delang and Pipili, thereby causing the maximum damage to the sector. Example Jaypur village of Satyabadi Block has lost 90 per cent of coconut trees.

Coconut tree loss has affected the coir industries and has become sick without required raw materials. This has also affected the livelihood of many women artisans engaged with the coir industry, artisans’ clusters, especially the Pattachitra Artisans around Chandanpur and coconut coir artisans around Satyabadi.In this context, CYSD team along with “Kala Aur Katha”, led by Pankaja, a designer cum social entrepreneur and SWAD, a local NGO visited the severely affected villages of Satyabadi block with the specific objective to explore the existing potential artisans; assist the artisans in revival of artisans cluster especially coconut products; explore the opportunities on value additions to coconut waste as part of circular economy; and find possibilities of youth led entrepreneurship to generate assured income to minimize distress migration.

After Interaction with women groups and village heads of different villages of Satyabadi block regarding the development and recycling of the coconut waste, it was observed that most of the women groups trained on coir, making various products like doormats, decoration items and flower pots with coconut wastes were limited in design and its attractiveness to generate sustainable livelihood income.

Ground Reality

A team of 14 women members formed a SHG namely, Saraswati Self Help Group in 2007 in Jaypore village of Satyabadi Block. They had started one coir industry engaging women members and was making different coir products. As the industry was running well, the women artisans engaged in it were substituting to their family income in a dignified manner.

“The cyclone FANI has not only blown away the workshop roof, it has taken away the livelihoods of many women engaged in our coir industry”, said Ms. Surekha Dash, the Secretary of SHG.

“Now the group is not able to make any coir products due to shortage of coconut coir & stick. Though marketing is a big issue for us, still we are enthusiastic to revive the coir industry and make coir products to sustain our livelihood”, added Ms. Surekha.