The basket weavers of Medara Street in Visakhapatnam wrestle to carve a distinct segment for themselves

S Muthyalamma sits at a corner of the narrow Medara (bamboo weavers) Street, hunching forward, plaiting narrow strands of bamboo into medium-sized baskets. She and a few others at the street behind Poorna Market in One Town are among the last few bamboo weavers in the city. The craft was once practised by everyone in their community.

The narrow alley is lined with houses of weavers where women spend their day chatting in groups, weaving baskets and whittling bamboo. “There were once over a 100 such families who practiced bamboo weaving. But most of them have moved on to other jobs,” says 70-year-old Muthyalamma. “It takes around two to three hours to weave a basket,” says P Lakshmi, as her hands deftly transform the thin bamboo strands into a half-moon wicker basket. She sells this for ₹50 to₹100 depending on the size.

M Suguna is slicing bamboo into thin ribbons. “These will be used in rituals for the dead,” she says. These artisans have been working here for over 50 years and learned the craft by watching their elders at work. But their numbers are dwindling. Muthyalamma says that the youngsters in her family are educated and some have clerical jobs or work in other sectors which support them well. “There are days when we sit here throughout the day without any business. Some days we make around ₹200 to ₹300. Most of these products would be used in weddings and death rituals. But today the traditions are fading away. Why should our children have the same fate?” she says.

At one time when the community thrived, high demand for work kept them busy through the day as winnows, baskets and carpets were a necessity in every household. However, with plastic alternatives flooding the market, the destiny of these weavers has changed. Besides dwindling interest, the dearth of cheap and easily available bamboo has also pushed many out of this profession.

Some like Suguna work by order and believe that whatever little they get out of this craft is due to the innovations they have made in the profession. “Skill enhancement training and workshops can help the community understand new trends in the market. We need support from the government to market our products so that we can sail through tough times,” she adds.

The community has an association called Shanti Medara Sankshema Sangam. “As a union we help the members get loans at cheaper rates. But we have not got any support from the authorities to market our products or upgrade our skills,” says N Prakash, a member of the association. Prakash claims that lack of efforts for revival of the art and absence of an institutionalised marketing system will eventually kill the craft. He says that unlike in the North-Eastern States such as Assam and Tripura where the government is taking initiatives to promote local crafts, local authorities are hardly concerned.

The bamboo weavers, struggling against rising prices of raw materials and growing preference for plastic, are hoping that the recent initiatives of plastic ban and call for eco-friendly alternatives by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation and district administration will bring back the lost glory of their art.