Iritty: A bamboo plantation launched to protect riverbanks and revive a fading traditional craft is set to generate livelihoods for hundreds of women, with the Payam Panchayat unveiling an ambitious plan to transform the region into a Bamboo Industrial Village.
The first phase of the training programme will be inaugurated by the District Panchayat President Binoy Kurian at 11 am on Monday at the Panchayat Hall.
The project builds on a bamboo plantation drive launched by the Panchayat in 2023 in collaboration with Jeevan Jyothi in Wayanad. Under the initiative, around 5,000 bamboo saplings belonging to 26 species were planted along a 10 kilometre stretch of the Barapuzha riverbanks within the Panchayat limits. Three years later, the plantations have matured into thriving bamboo groves, providing the raw material needed for the next phase of the project.
The initiative also seeks to revive the traditional bamboo craft industry in Kiliyanthara, where several artisan families once depended on weaving baskets, trays and other bamboo products for their livelihood. Over the years, however, the scarcity of bamboo and prolonged delays in its supply left craftsmen engaged in bamboo, reed and palm weaving without adequate work and pushed the sector into a severe crisis.
The Panchayat initially launched the bamboo plantation project to ensure a steady supply of raw material for traditional artisans while also conserving the riverbanks. The Bamboo Industrial Village initiative comes in as an extension of that programme, seeking to convert the mature bamboo into value added handicrafts and create sustainable livelihood opportunities.
In the first phase, 100 selected participants will undergo stipend supported training in traditional bamboo craft making, mural painting and bamboo mural decoupage. The Panchayat plans to extend the programme over the next five years to provide self employment opportunities for 400 unemployed women in bamboo product manufacturing and handicrafts.The project also envisages setting up an art gallery and dedicated marketing stalls to promote and sell the products.
The details of the initiative were announced by Panchayat President M Vinod Kumar, Vice President P N Jessy, Standing Committee chairpersons Pavithran Payam, Smitha Rajeesh and K V Radhakrishnan, Panchayat Secretary Nidhin Sudhakaran and Assistant Secretary Jayce T Thomas.