Slum women show the way

Ranjit Thakur

Jammu, December 11

Away from usual din in Jammu and Kashmir, nearly 24 women, most of them from slum areas, have set an example by creating a self-help group (SHG) to make pure organic ‘agarbattis’ (incense sticks) from fresh flowers being collected from temples across Jammu city.

The agarbatti-making unit started functioning here in August with the help of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and the Indian Red Cross Society in the Peer Kho area. The unit has not only been providing employment to women but it equally plays key role in environment protection.

“We work at the unit three to four hours a day and perform different tasks of assorting, cutting, drying and processing flowers to make incense sticks. We make over 6,000 incense sticks in a day with the help of machines” Radha, one of the workers said.

She said they pack these sticks with the name ‘Pushp Agarbatti’ and send the product to the market for sale. “Most of the women engaged in the centre are originally from poor families and with this unit we are hopeful that our children will have a better future,” she said.

“We collect the waste flowers from various temples of the city and make incense sticks. Earlier, these flowers used to be dumped in river Tawi and Ranbir Canal. The idea has been carried out for dual purposes of keeping Tawi River, Ranbir Canal and other water bodies clean, as well as providing dignified employment to women from economically-weaker strata of the society,” Narotam Sharma, Municipal Councillor from Ward No 3 said.

“Since a long time, we were trying to start the unit here, but finally we have got this unit with help of the JMC and Indian Red Cross Society. We are trying our best to take this unit to the next level,” he said.

The Councillor further said, “We regularly collect flowers offered in different temples of the city and sell the product (incense sticks) made out of waste in the market by using different modes. A shop will also be hired in the JMC, Jammu,where the product with the name ‘Pushp Agarbatti’ will be available for people.”