Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Plastic mat weaving unit at Aliyar

By Our Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE, JAN. 17. The Centre for Environment Education has set up a plastic mat-weaving unit at Aliyar, operated by tribal women.

According to its project officer, Archana Dange, the Forest Department has formed a 16-member group called, Eco-development Group, with women from the Malai Malasar settlement in Aliyar. She said that some of them had helped the CEE in developing educational material at the interpretation centre in Aliyar.

To provide an alternative source of income for the women, the CEE had also set up a loom at the settlement for weaving plastic mats.

Four women of the group had been trained in operating the loom while others were involved in collecting discarded plastic waste, especially from places in and around tourist spots like Aliyar Dam and Monkey Falls. This apart, plastic waste was also being sent from eco-clubs in Pollachi and Valparai.

The unit was now receiving three kg of plastic, a day. Since the loom was yet to go fully operational, three or four mats were being made by the women a day and sold to tourists.

The cost of loom, installed at the settlement a few weeks ago, and the training was borne under the Environmental Youth Enterprises project. Ms. Dange said that the CEE had so far started four plastic weaving units in the State under the EYE Project (Coimbatore, Tirupur, Pudukottai and Aliyar). It is now proposed to set up another unit in Coimbatore.

The aim of this programme was to enable self-employment to women and youth through eco-friendly ventures.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

• BSNL to offer SMS in landline phones
• `Exploit indigenous resources'
• `Scrap affiliation system in higher education'
• Consumer fora await filling of vacancies
• Plastic mat weaving unit at Aliyar
• `Ban tree felling in Valparai'
• Coimbatore Aavin declares dividend
• No power
• Funds for water supply works
• Around the City
• In Coimbatore Today

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu