Craft Wood Banks to support 5,000 artisan families

The wood banks have been established for artisans associated with Etikoppaka and Kondapalli toys, Madhavaram crafts, Shettigunta handicrafts and Bobbili veenas, among other traditional art forms.

Metro India News | AMARAVATI : Deputy Chief Minister and Forests and Environment Minister Pawan Kalyan launched a network of Craft Wood Banks across Andhra Pradesh, aimed at addressing the persistent shortage of raw wood faced by traditional artisans and safeguarding the State’s rich handicraft heritage at Dhavaleswaram in Rajamahendravaram Rural constituency along with local legislators and senior Forest Department officials. He also virtually launched wood banks established across six major handicraft clusters in the State.

The initiative is expected to benefit around 5,000 artisan families, providing them with reliable access to wood, a critical raw material for several traditional crafts. The wood banks have been established for artisans associated with Etikoppaka and Kondapalli toys, Madhavaram crafts, Shettigunta handicrafts and Bobbili veenas, among other traditional art forms.

The Rajamahendravaram Central Craft Wood Bank currently has around 30 cubic metres of timber available for artisans. Forest officials informed the Deputy Chief Minister that stocks sufficient to meet the requirements of artisans for the next five years would be made available in the coming period.

During the inauguration, Pawan Kalyan, accompanied by his wife Anna Konidela, inspected the timber stocks and handicrafts displayed by artisans from different clusters. He interacted with artisans at individual stalls, enquiring about their traditional techniques, production processes and challenges.

A notable feature of the initiative is the use of QR codes for traceability. Pawan Kalyan scanned QR codes attached to handicrafts to access details about the artisan, the production process and the origin of the product. He also scanned QR codes attached to timber logs stored at the wood bank and sought details from forest officials about the source of the wood, the age of the trees and their scientific names.

The traceability system is intended to provide greater transparency in the sourcing and distribution of timber while also helping consumers understand the story and craftsmanship behind traditional products.

Pawan Kalyan and Anna Konidela also purchased several handicrafts displayed at the exhibition, extending direct support to the artisans.