Wood auction to revive toy units of Sehore

To protect and promote 100-year-old bio-toy (eco-friendly and harmless to children) manufacturing units, locally known as Kharad works, the MP forest department has allowed Dudhi wood auction in Budni (district Sehore), banned since 1999.

The forest department will allow van samitis to fell Dudhi (botanically known as wrightia tinctoria) and Haldu (adina cordifolia), in a managed way.

Kharad artisans have been facing a tough time, with business shrinking. "The department has allowed Dudhi auction from today for Budni artisans only," said a forest department source, adding "there is an agreement between van samitis and local Kharad Cluster members, who will identify forests of their choice, although Dudhi felling in any area is strictly banned."

Eighty artisans of Budni Ghat have inherited the art of making wooden toys, known as bio-toys. They manufacture kitchenware also.

The wood, called Dudhi, is famous for turnery work for making toys. As this raw material is becoming scarce, local artisans who went to Dubai recently to sell their products are using alternative raw materials like eucalyptus and babool.

Adding to their problems, the Madhya Pradesh State Electricity Board's tariffs are at commercial rates. Speaking to Business Standard, Vinod Sharma, head of Budni Cluster Club (an association of the artisans), said the forest department had agreed to auction Dudhi. The 100-year-old eco-friendly art was on its way to extinction in the absence of raw material, high power tariffs, poor marketing and high shellac prices, used as paint on the bio-toys.

Sharma said: "We sell our products either at road-side shops or at government-organised exhibitions. The power tariff is as high as Rs 5.50 per unit. Rising shellac prices, at Rs 250-400 per kg, and its scarcity have made the business less profitable."

Each artisan posts sales of Rs 800-1,000 a day and the profit is Rs 100-150. With auction starting, each artisan will get 10-15 quintals of Dudhi each month. Recently Sharma participated in an exhibition in Dubai and received orders worth Rs 50,000. Though artisans have high hopes from Dudhi auction, power cuts and high tariffs will still hobble them.

The reporter was recently in Budni.