Power of pine

Women in Solan, Himachal Pradesh use abundantly available pine needles to weave items of everyday use and decor, earning a handsome monthly income

- ROHIT PRASHAR

"EVERY YEAR as summer comes, pine trees in forests all around us start to shed needles and leaves. We gather as much of these as we can and store it at home to use throughout the year," says Anita Thakur, a resident of Ghalai village in Himachal Pradesh's Solan district.

For the past five years, Anita and 34 other women of the Jyoti Self Help Group (SHG) in villages of the district's Mahi panchayat have been collecting and using the needles and leaves to make a number of items, such as cutlery, containers, serving trays, home decor pieces and jewellery. "Selling these products helps each of us earn ₹20,000-30,000 a month," says Anita, president of the SHG.