Festival brings no light to diya makers
The Hindu
Rising prices of clay and transport, pandemic led economic crisis hitting earthen lamp makers hard
Makers of diyas (earthen lamps) do not have much to celebrate on the occasion of Deepavali, the festival of lights, this year, as scarcity of clay has hit them hard.
Exponentially rising prices of clay and transport, pandemic induced economic crisis, loss of employment, and lack of demand for locally-made diyas have become major challenges in survival of the traditional potters.
Non-availability of clay is a significant crisis when it comes to delivery of Deepavali merchandise. Freely available from lakes and ponds earlier, the clay is now a prized commodity.
The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.