Women in Biskohar, Uttar Pradesh, are turning dried water hyacinth, locally known as jalkumbhi, into handcrafted products that featured at Lakmé Fashion Week in designs by Anurag Gupta. The invasive aquatic plant is dried and processed into fibres for bags, baskets and home accessories. The Economic Times reports that Gupta spent around 10 months persuading the women to participate, who were hesitant after past social initiatives failed to bring lasting change.

The initiative aims to provide a livelihood without requiring women to leave their village. Gupta is exploring markets in home and lifestyle products, corporate gifting and e-commerce. A training programme with a stipend is being considered. Separately, The Better India reports that around 150 women in Andhra Pradesh’s Krishna district have been trained since October 2024 to make similar products from water hyacinth, with artisans earning Rs 500 to 700 a day.

Source: Indian Opinion