16 lakh dung-clay diyas light up lives of 386 women in MP's Vidisha help them earn Rs 26 lakh

Vidisha (MP), Nov 7 (PTI) Three hundred and eighty-six women from self-help groups (SHGs) in Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha district turned the Diwali season into an estimated Rs 26 lakh earning opportunity by shaping clay and cow dung into traditional lamps for sale, officials said on Saturday.

Members of 114 self-help groups moulded around 16 lakh earthen and cow dung diyas for sale at 48 stalls set up at marketplaces across different blocks of the district, an official release said.

"Each member earned an average of Rs 8,000 to Rs 12,000 through the activity during the festival, taking the groups' estimated collective income to around Rs 26 lakh," it said.

The initiative provided rural women with employment and self-employment opportunities by using locally available resources. It also encouraged the use of traditional clay and cow dung lamps and promoted awareness about environment-friendly products, the release said.

The production and marketing initiative through SHGs has encouraged women entrepreneurship and contributed to strengthening the rural economy, it added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)