In a bid to dissuade people from using plastic carry bags, the Thumbe gram panchayat in Bantwal taluk has decided to hand over cloth bags to households. The cloth bags are stitched by women members of NRLM (National Rural Livelihood Mission) Sanjeevini Self Help Group.
Thumbe GP Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) Chandravathi said that three types of cloth bags are being distributed -- big, medium and small -- depending on the requirement of a household. “We want to create awareness among people to carry a cloth bag with them while going to shops rather than asking the shopkeeper to hand over a plastic carry bag. This, in turn, will reduce the use of plastic carry bags to some extent,” she told DH.
Women of the Sanjeevini SHG have been entrusted with the work of stitching 9,000 cloth bags. There are 1,540 households in the gram panchayat. Gram Panchayat president Praveen Thumbe has taken a keen interest in the distribution of the cloth bag to each household in the gram panchayat. “As there is a tendency among people to discard the bags if they are given for free, the GP has fixed a price of Rs 80 for three bags,” PDO said.
The profit earned from the cloth bag sale will be given to the Sanjeevini SHG.
Malathi from the Sanjeevini SHG said, “We six women are engaged in stitching bags at the NRLM Sanjeevini unit in the gram panchayat. The president has arranged to supply the required cloth for stitching bags. We have already stitched more than 3,500 cloth bags now. All of us have experience in stitching. So, it was easy for us to accept the responsibility entrusted to us. As many as 300 bags are stitched on an average every day.”
“After we complete stitching 9,000 bags, we have decided to procure clothes and stitch bags for sale. The distribution of the bags has already commenced,” she said.
“I have been stitching for the last few years at home. Now, through Sanjeevini SHG, I am carrying out the work. We members will continue to stitch as per the orders received. This, in turn, has helped in the empowerment of women,” she added.