Nupur Poharkar, a veterinary doctor, was always motivated to work in the social sector. In 2020, her dream came true with a fellowship opportunity in Champawat, Uttarakhand.
During her fellowship, she witnessed a fire breaking out in the backyard of her neighbour’s house that destroyed the fodder for their cattle.
“This was just one incident. Villagers narrated other instances which turned quite serious and scary. Not only did they lose harvested fodder, but they also sometimes lost livestock and the surrounding biodiversity,” she says.
Although the government spends huge sums every year to control forest fires, she says, not much was done to solve the issue of such fires caused by pine waste.
Determined to fill this gap, the Delhi resident started looking for potential solutions to utilise pine waste and generate livelihood opportunities for rural women.
In 2021, she came across a YouTube video on crafts made out of pine needles. After discussing with her sister Sharvari, a designer, Nupur launched their startup, Pirul Handicrafts.
The startup manufactures various handicraft products like tea coasters, earrings, storage boxes, handbags, serving trays, table mats, and planters from pine waste.
Interestingly, they clocked an annual revenue of Rs 15.5 lakh in 2023. With the help of 100 rural women, they have been able to divert 20,000 kg of pine waste into useful products.
Sunita Mani, who has been with the startup for three years, shares that her monthly income has increased from Rs 1,500 to Rs 5,000, highlighting the positive impact Pirul Handicrafts has on rural women's livelihoods.
“We have not observed any forest fires as of yet in the areas from where we collect pine needles. Earlier, at least three incidents were reported every year,” says Nupur.
“This is a small step towards a big issue but it can be replicated in other areas of the state to reduce the root cause and frequency of forest fires,” she adds.