HYDERABAD: A large number of artisans associated with the pottery tradition in Sindh are under threat because of increasing water scarcity, land degradation, and salinity, which have together hit hard the entire business chain.
Potters cannot find the most important component, good clay, around them. Residing in different villages and towns, they want to keep their ancestral crafts alive by transferring the knowledge to the coming generations. But most of the once accessible free clay dunes located everywhere, have become precious for them.
Reports gathered through potters and activists reveal that only a few clay dunes exist in the province, from where one can get the raw material after paying a huge cost. An elderly artisan Daud Kumbhar, from Kumbhar Muhalla, adjacent to famous Hur Camp, Hyderabad, knows the reason behind fast vanishing clay dunes and increasing pollution of ponds, which were the sources of getting raw material for their work.
“These days, we pay huge cost to have best quality clay, which is an important component of this traditional industry,” he said, adding, “We bring it from Tando Qaisar, Hyderabad district after paying Rs1,500-Rs2,000 for tractor trolley or Rs14,000-Rs15,000 for a truckload.”
Similarly, the potters have to buy other items used in the process, especially wheat straw, wood powder, and vegetation waste for burning.
Daud is aware of the period their forefathers came to this particular village, which presently is known as Kumbhar Muhalla. He recalls the joyful days of the past when he himself used to prepare clay for manufacturing different varieties of pots.
He said that the entire land around their factories and workshops was productive. The best quality clay was accessible to them free of cost.
“Now it seems each and every item we use has become costly. But our products have lost their value in markets, despite the increasing manufacturing cost,” the elderly artisan said. Daud Kumbhar heads his own factory, which employs around 60 workers with different expertise and helpers, including his two sons and nephews.
Kumbhar Muhalla has more than 400 households, of which 100 households belong to pottery makers. At least 300 workers from different age groups have been associated with this industry, and work with their elders to keep it alive despite facing the newly emerging challenges.
There are six major workshops in the area where 500-5,000 items can be burned by the small group of artisans who contribute to this traditionally industry with their skills. After hardening, burning, or drying, the items are sold at Rs10-Rs200 in the market, depending on size and quality. A single artisan can earn Rs400-Rs600 a day.
At workshops, a person can make around 40-45 items daily, depending on the availability of raw material and environment. Though the wages are not satisfactory, they have passion to continue their ancestral work.
Around 200 vendors come daily to these workshops with their pushcarts to load different varieties of clay-pots and items. They load around 20-25 different kinds of items and then go in different directions for selling. They return in the evening to give payment and settle financial agreements. They have a traditional system to deal with each other, as vendors contribute more to this industry.
Ramazan brings more work to factories and higher sales for vendors. People purchase small earthenware to keep milk and make curd and yogurt, especially in this hot weather as traditionalists prefer to make lassi and yogurt to avoid heat effects.
Potters consider the plastic industry a bane, as many traditional earthenware items have been replaced by those made in plastic, despite the former being better for health.
Still, many people in villages and towns prefer to use earthen jars for drinking water, and some women use earthen pots for cooking vegetables.
Each elderly craftsman has a different tale and narrates success stories and achievements during their life. They said it was not just the potters, but all the traditional artisans had more influence among the people and ruled over the hearts of the communities. It was a rich culture, they recalled.
Customer can still find household items ranging from water tumblers to water coolers, oil lamps, piggy banks, and gardening pots, amongst many other things at the Kumbhar Muhalla.
Many families that read livestock still use earthenware for milking animals and making dairy products.
However, these artisans believe that gone are the days when these earthen items were common and useful for everybody in the area. The survival of this traditional industry and its craftsmen will be difficult without a specific plan and packages from the federal and provincial government. Clay products are a part of the collective culture and heritage, and must be preserved.
The vanishing clay dunes must be declared safe for this particular industry, which has employed around one million workers at different levels.