Mercury levels are shooting up in the city and unlike in the past, there is not much of buzz at Kummaripalem — the hub for earthen pots. Blame it on rising prices of pots or dwindling number of potters’ families, which offer quality pots, people no more throng the area.
For the last couple of years, many potters’ families have shifted their base to neighbouring Tadepalli, which is around eight kms from Kummaripalem, following complaints of pollution by nearby residents.
Earlier, there used to be nearly 60 families, which were into making pots in the area, says T. Venkateswara Rao, a potter.
Though the government has provided some land to set up pottery units, operational costs have gone up drastically. There is a dearth of labourers and after manufacturing pots, potters have to transport them from Tadepalli to different areas. It costs Rs.500 to transport 100 pots and ultimately, customers have to bear the transportation costs, he explains.
Last year, a 20-litre pot used to cost about Rs.150 to Rs.180 but now it costs nearly Rs.200 to Rs.250 and many middle-class households are already feeling the pinch of these prices. Low income groups prefer buying five-litre pots which used to cost Rs.30 to Rs.40. They are now sold for Rs.55 each.
It’s not just manufacturing difficulties. One has to be very careful while transporting pots into the city. Thanks to poor road conditions, many pots get damaged and potters are forced to increase the prices of leftover pots to cover up losses. To do away with this loss, potters are selling pots in different colonies using rickshaws. Amid, all these practices, Kummaripalem is losing its identity slowly, laments Durga Naga Laxmi, another potter.
