PARADIP: Come November and a section of people await Kartik Purnima when thousands of Shola Pith (Indian cork) boats are set sail by people to mark the Boita Bandana ritual. It is business time for these people as they prepare and sell these boats in large numbers. However, it is different this year. Due to non-availability of Shola Pith, business has nose-dived. As a result, prices of these boats too have gone up. Sources said people of Kujang, Erasama, Jagatsinghpur, Biridi, Raghunathpur, Tirtol, Balikuda and Naugaon are involved in this seasonal business of preparing Shola Pith boats. While the male members of the families collect the raw material, women use their creativity to make miniature boats. Sanjukta Rana of Peteipur village said, “Earlier we used to earn ` 10,000 during this season by selling Shola Pith boats. But now, the raw material is not available easily which has affected our business.”She said many have now started selling plastic boats too that they procure from Kolkata. Locals said most of the Shola Pith plants grow in swampy, marshy waterlogged areas and low-lying areas. “But these low-lying areas are slowly giving way to concrete jungles,” another villager said. Plant Protection Officer Bijay Kumar Pradhan said use of pesticides and destruction of natural habitats are the main reasons behind depletion of these plants.
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