E-Paper
Kota Doria saree weavers hit after Kota declared kerosene-free district
Kota administration declared the district kerosene-free in October 2018 after the LPG supply for domestic use was completed in the district.
Around 10,000 weavers of Kota region using kerosene in manufacturing of Kota Doria sarees have taken a hit after the district administration declared the district as kerosene-free.
The weavers use kerosene for cleaning of silk yarn used in the Kota Doria fabric. Last year in October, the district administration and civil supply department declared Kota district kerosene-free after the LPG supply for domestic use was completed in the district.
Since then, the Kota Doria weavers are struggling to get kerosene for their traditional business. “Kota Doria fabric comprises 60% cotton yarn and 40% silk yarn. Kerosene is used for cleaning silk (yarn) and making it perfect for meddling and weaving of Kota Doria fabric,” said Nasruddin Ansari, president of the Kota Doria Hadauti Federation, Kaithoon.
“In the absence of kerosene, quality of Kota Doria sarees, which are made on handlooms, gets affected,” he added.
Another weaver, Aabid Ansari, said, “Kota Doria weavers of Kota region are forced to bring kerosene from neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh at an expensive rate of ₹100 per litre, which is hurting the interests and work of Kota Doria weavers.” He said around one litre kerosene is required for preparing silk yarn for four Kota Doria sarees.
Aabid said, “We have given several memorandum to the district collector and civil supply officer of Kota for facilitating kerosene, who have conveyed the issue to the state government, but there has been no relief so far.”
Nasruddin said, “If the problem is not resolved soon, the weavers will be compelled to leave the profession.”
Commenting on the issue, district civil supply officer Balkrishna Tiwari said, “DSO department and district collector Kota earlier addressed the issue to state government, but the government said that kerosene can be given only for cooking purpose in areas where LPG is not present and not for other purposes.”
He said if Kota Doria weavers form an industrial unit, then there are possibilities of getting kerosene for industrial purposes.
Experts said the annual turnover of Kota Doria business is around ₹100 crores. Kota Doria is manufactured in Kaithoon, Kotsua, Sangod, Bapawar, Sultanpur and Arandkhera regions of Kota district; Mangrol, Seeswali and Antra regions of Baran district and Bundi town, Keshoraipatan, Roteda and Kapren region of Bundi district.
History of Kota Doria
Kota Historian Jagatnarayan told HT that a former ruler of Kota, Maharao Kishore Singh, had brought some artisans from Mysore to Kota, who started manufacturing cotton sarees in Kaithoon and later locals started manufacturing Kota Doria sarees, Thus, Kota Doria sarees are also known as Kota Masuriya Saree or Kota Saree. Use of silk, along with cotton, in Kota Doria sarees started around 100 years ago, said Nasruddin Ansari, a Kota Doria weaver and president of the Kota Doria Hadauti Federation, Kaithoon.
