Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (JP/RD/CN)

Mangalore, Jun 6: Eco-friendliness has become the need of the hour and slowly but steadily, awareness of the topic is increasing. People are beginning to steer away from plastic products that are a major contributor to pollution. 

The areca leaves which are found in abundance in Dakshina Kannada have been long used to fashion head gear that acts as a shock absorber when carrying large loads of manure to the fields. These leaves have also been braided together to serve as a shield against the fierce rains that assault the region every year. 

Another use is in the form of crude bags meant to hold fish from the market. At one time, there were many who dealt exclusively in such bags, but eventually shifted to other lucrative means of earning a livelihood. Soon, plastic replaced these areca bags. 

Now, these areca leaves are being used to make eco-friendly cutlery for use at parties and public gatherings.  Shekar Safaliga of Goltamajal, in Puttur taluk, had cast a die mounted on machine to cut the areca leaves into plates of various sizes which are then given a finishing touch manually. 

The manufacturing of the die cost him Rs 10,000. The entire process involves choosing the right ones from a large quantity of areca leaves, which are then soaked for a few days in a pond of water pond located on the plantation.

They are then dried so that moulding the leaves is made easy. Then, plates of different sizes are churned out. Safaliga’s innovative products are sold at competitive rates in super markets where they are prominently displayed.

Karnataka and its neighbour Kerala have both been plagued by the problem of youth unemployment. ‘Deepa Palm Dish’, a company from Trissur, seems to have an idea which offers employment to many. 

The company has been manufacturing eco-friendly plates, dishes, cups, soap trays, and similar products using areca leaves. In a press release, the CEO of ‘Deepa Palm Dish’, Lonappan Pandallukkaran said that a survey conducted by Reserve Bank of India, and other financial institutions, has found one of his firm’s projects to be a viable solution to the unemployment youth. 

Named ‘Deepa Triple Advantage Project’, for the past 14 years, the initiative has trained unemployed youth in making dishes using areca leaves, in association with RDSIA, an NGO for women empowerment and rural development. 

Lolappan added that in rural areas, a unit could comprise of five members with each  panchayat ward having one or two such units. This will ensure that within five years, it  will provide employment for about 1,50,000 people in both states.

This which not only help ease unemployment but also help people in the rural areas to earn a supplemental income. The company, besides training people, also helps them to procure machinery needed for the purpose.  

Already there are around 160 such units functioning effectively. These dishes manufactured by them can be used for private catering, temple events, railway catering, and the like. 

Lolappan added that besides selling the required machines, his company also buys the products prepared in by the villagers. Interested persons may contact Lolappan at 9349586814.