Water Hyacinth Craft: Promoting Rural Livelihoods

Water hyacinth (Scientific

name: Eichorniacrassipes;

Local name: Meteka) is considered as

the most productive plant on earth, as

it yields more than 200 tons of dry

matter per hectare per year under normal

conditions. On water containing high

concentrations of sewage, it yields up to 657

tons of dry matter per hectare. In Assam, water

hyacinth is seen in abundance in almost every

river body of the state, right from big lakes to

household ponds in villages. For a long time, the

aquatic plant was considered only as a waste and was

either cleared up or left unused.

“The plant is far more productive than the crops that have been carefully cultivated by man under near-ide-

al conditions of fertilization, irrigation, and pest con-trol,” wrote John Bunton in an article which appeared in

Far Eastern Agriculture.

Water hyacinth

Water Hyacinth Craft: Promoting Rural

Livelihoods

Basically, Water hyacinth is considered as a weed & nuisance for:

It enhances water loss by 2.5 to 3 times due to evaporation.

Reduction of Bio-diversity: Other aquatic plants have difficulty in surviving.

Diversity of fish stocks is often affected from proliferation of water hyacinth.

Sediment level increases with increase of water

hyacinth.

Source of breeding ground for mosquitoes and other parasites.

indrance to water transport.

Its removal helps to conserve water and rejuvenate the environment.

Sustainable livelihood & Inclusive Growth in Rural Areas.

Raw Material is free and abundant.

Opportunity to earn as per the skill level of the artisan: Unskilled:- 15 paisa per piece of dry steam -Semi Skilled :- Braid & Rope : Rs. 2 to 3.5 per meter -Skilled: Finished Products with value from Rs. 40 in a coin purse to Rs.30,000/- in furniture set.

An ecofriendly product for the consumers.

Empowering women in rural India.

Need for Water Hyacinth Craft

Processing of Water Hyacinth to Water Hyacinth Craft

sizing by

cutting

cleaning the

surface

Surface decoration Knitting

Flatting (to smoothen the

rough edge)

Drying

To introduce water hyacinth craft as a source of sustainable livelihood in rural areas primarily targeting the women

beneficiaries for their economic empowerment. The project will focus on six blocks under six districts which are

listed as follows:

Kokrajhar

Pub Mangaldai

Dolongghat

Dhemaji

Majuli

Guijan

850 SHG members

Name of the Block 4

No of SHGmembers to be covered ( Approx)

Kokrajhar

Darrang

Nagaon

Dhemaji

Majuli

Tinsukia

Name of the District

Objective of the project

Formal and Structured training on making products of water hyacinth is a necessity in

promoting Water Hyacinth Craft into a Sustainable Livelihood option . In order to

enhance their skills andproductivity technical training and Capacity Building

Programmes have been designed specific to the requirement of the artisans on water

hyacinth craft:

Capacity Building

Sl No Type of Training No of Artisans to be covered

1

2

3

600

60

150

Skill DevelopmentProgramme at village level

Advanced Training at NEDFiR&D Centre, Khetri

Product Specific Reorientation Programme at

village level

A systematic approach to promoteWater Hyacinth Craft as a sustainable Livelihood

option, marketinglinkage has to be established and trackingof the growing needs of

customers is also to be kept in account. Thus, the following initiatives are to be

undertaken in realizing the goals of establishing a sustainable Market Linkage

Establishment of six Common Facility Centre in all the six targeted districts and make it sustainable in long run.

Issue of Artisan Card to the project beneficiaries.

Preparation of Catalogue, Website & Documentation for product marketing.

Organizing 18 nos. of local, regional, national level exhibitions to promote Water Hyacinth Craft in Assam.

Tie up with buyers & exporters for some selective products with large volume for which product specific training programmes will be undertaken under the capacity building component of the proj-ect. Tie up with vendors/ shops of nearby areas / locality.

Linkage with marketing organizations like NEHHDC, ARTFED as well as NEDFi showrooms and online marketing agencies.

Promoting Water Hyacinth Craft as a Sustainable Livelihood and Establishment of Market Linkages

Mentors

common facility centre

(raw material bank production facility

aggregation of semi finished and

finished products)

Local Sales

Artisans in

the rural areas

Implementation model

12 Days Skill development

programme of 25 artisans Total 600

beneficiaries.

products

products

pro

du

cts

pro

du

cts

ExhibitionSales OutletOrder ExecutionEcommerce

MARKET

2 Programmes on advance training

of 15 days eachat nedfi craft

incubation center total 60 artisans

7days of product specific training

total 150 artisans

Operational Time Line for Water Hyacinth Project

Project Period: 18.08.2017 to 17.08.2019 (Two years)

Conducting Basic Training Programme for ben-eficiaries (24 programes, 25 beneficiaries per batch, duration of each training programme 10 days per batch).

Issue of Artisan Card to the project beneficiaries

Sept-17 to Dec-171

Sept-17 to Dec-172

Procurement process of Tools &Equipments for CFCAccessories etc Dec-17 to Jan-184

Functioning of CFC - 6 nos. (1 each at selected intensive district)

Jan-185

Mobilisation of CFC Assistants Feb-18 to Aug-196

Selection and Mobilisation of Marketing Exec-utive & Mentor Dec-17 toAug-197

Selection of place and beneficiary for estab-lishment of Common Facility Center (CFC) Nov-173

Sl No Months Activity Details

Conducting Advanced Training Programme (2 porgrammes, 30 beneficiaries per batch, duration of each training programme 12 days per batch)

March-18 to April-189

18 nos. of Local, Regional, National Level Exhi-bitions: 6CFC @ 3 exhibition per CFC Dec-17 to Aug-1911

Conducting Product Specific Orientation Programme (6 programmes, 25 beneficiaries per batch, duration of each programme 6 days per batch)

May-18 to Aug-1810

Marketing Linkage Initiatives: 1) Tie up with buyers & exporters for some selective products with large volume; 2) Linkage with marketing organizations; 3) Online Marketing

Dec-17 to Aug-1912

Selection and Mobilisation of Mentors Dec-17 to Aug-198

Preparation of Catalogue, Website launch & Documentation

Dec-17 to March-1813

Sl No Activity Details Months

Assam state rural livelihoods missionpanchayat and rural development department, govt. of assamsiva nath gogoi path, panjabari roadguwahati, assam-781037

Phoneno: 0361-2330542/ website: https//asrlms.assam.gov.intoll free no: 18002008998/ Email: asrlms.india@gmail.com