Age-old wooden boat craft faces death as trade drops by 70 pc in Kendrapara

THE wooden boat making trade, considered one of the oldest professions, has declined by almost 70 per cent within the last three decades in the coastal district of Kendrapara and its nearby region.

- ASHIS SENAPATI @Kendrapara

THE wooden boat making trade, considered one of the oldest professions, has declined by almost 70 per cent within the last three decades in the coastal district of Kendrapara and its nearby region. With the advent of fibre boats, this age-old boat making craft has been rapidly losing its importance.

Three decades ago, around 200 carpenters from the seaside fishing villages under Mahakalapada and Rajnagar blocks used to make fishing boats for fishermen. Today, only 50 carpenters eke out their livelihood by making boats.