Women Inmates Of Bhopal Central Jail Create Handicraft Items Using Jalkumbhi | Smita
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Women prisoners of Bhopal Central Jail have made various handicraft items using Jalkumbhi. It will not only help save the environment by keeping water bodies clean, but also equip them with a skill that could be a useful source of livelihood for them once they are released from prison.
Jalkumbhi (water hyacinth) is an aquatic plant that grows in ponds and lakes. It is one of the fastest growing plants and can grow 100-fold in a matter of just 23 days. It can dry up smaller water bodies and pollute bigger ones.
Once uprooted, it is dumped and is a waste. It is this waste which is sought to be used for making products of daily use such as baskets, mats, carpets, ladies purses, bags, slippers, etc.
The project is the initiative of Madhya Pradesh State Commission for Women, which is conducting a training workshop (from November 25 – December 10) for women prisoners with the help of National Commission for Women.
Around 35 women inmates, including convicts and under-trials are being trained. ‘It was during a visit to Central Jail in connection with an eye camp that the idea of training women inmates in the craft struck us,’ Secretary of State Women’s Commission, Tripti Tripathi said. She said that Jalkumbhi products can replace jute items, with the added advantage that they are zero-cost in the sense that raw material is entirely free.
‘It is making the best out of waste and the products are entirely eco-friendly,’ she added. Even more importantly, the women will be equipped with new skill when they are released from prison.
According to Tipathi, Jalkumbhi is found in water bodies in every village and town and so they will face no difficulty in getting the raw material. If the project succeeds, it would be expanded to other jails in the state,’ she further said, adding that a team from Jalgaon (Maharashtra) is training women prisoners in the craft.
Rakesh Bangre, superintendent of Bhopal Central Jail said that 35 women prisoners, including convicts and under-trials are being trained. They are in 20-70 year age group. The products made by them during training will be displayed on December 10, he added.
