Project Period: 2010-2011
Project Location: Mejia Village, West Bengal
Direct Impact: 200 citizens in Mejia village in West Bengal
Sal is so important for the tribals that the tree is worshiped by them for its wonderful nature of providing multiple products for their livelihood. Dried sal leaves are used widely in temples and marriage ceremonies as plates for eating food. The tribals collect these sal leaves and siali leaves and stitch them into plates and cups.
Under Lafarge India’s charity foundation’s program Unnati (Employability Programme) a Sal Plate Enterprise project was carried out in Amdanga and Haspahari villages of Lotiyaboni Panchayat, Mejia, West Bengal. The year long program was conducted in association with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur which is the implementing authority of the project.
About 40 families from Amdanga and Haspahari villages benefited from this project. In these areas Sal leaves are collected from the nearby forests and hence, offers high value addition to the products not only in terms of Sal Plate quality but also the profitability.
IIT students train the village women in using bio mass operated machines which are used for moulding the sal plates. These machines are ecofriendly and yield better result. The need for plastic film for bonding two leaves is negated.
Trimming of leaves through smooth shearing action results in minimum fatigue and health injury. This Biomass fuelling Sal Leaf Plate Mould (SLPM) machine is an innovation patented by IIT Kharagpur.
