BATHINDA, March 16 -- A group of enterprising women from four villages in Punjab and Haryana is mastering the craft of converting rice straw into home decor and sustainable items. Associated with different self-help groups (SHGs), these women have resolved to promote the initiative that crop waste could become a source of additional income. Named 'Para Art'- derived from the use of "parali" (paddy straw) in handicrafts - Grant Thornton Bharat, the multinational agency behind the Union government's 'Drone Didi' initiative, is coordinating workshops to introduce the craft to rural women. Kanta Devi, 37, from Kokri Kalan village in Moga district attended a workshop last month where practical training was imparted to women. "Every year, the post-paddy harvest period remains tense in Punjab. Farmers burn crop residue to prepare their fields for the next crop, which contributes to air pollution. As the state authorities and farming community are working to find ways to mitigate stubble disposal, we have learnt the craft to make attractive items from it," said Kanta. The project is supported by GIZ (Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit), a German development cooperation organisation working on behalf of the German government to support sustainable development initiatives in collaboration with governmental organisations and local partners. A trained 'para artist' from Chhattisgarh, Dhaneshawari Dhiwar, held classes in four villages across the two states in the last one month. "I learned this craft at a workshop in 2023, and since then, I have been working with women in different villages. It allows them to learn something new and apply it to earn," she added. Dhiwar clarified that the craft has limitations due to high moisture content in the rice straws. "Our experience shows that wall hangings with any design have a long life. But making other items like flower pots, pen stand, etc., is difficult because of the low strength of moist straws, she added. Gurpreet Kaur from Rurka Kalan in Ludhiana said she has learnt making portraits and sceneries from the rice straw. "The method of the craft is not complex, in which unprocessed straw is used. After peeling layers of dried straw, cardboard is covered with a piece of fabric. All one requires is a stencil design which is traced on the cloth and then the peeled straw is pasted on the design," she added. Another enterprising SGH member from Kurar village in Haryana's Kaithal, Kusum Devi, said that the workshop bemused the group of 30 women at the workshop. "We were not aware that the parali or rice crop waste can be used as a piece of craft. Parali management has been a major issue for farmers in the rice-growing regions. I have made a few floral pieces and sceneries that I would gift to officials of my Kalayat sub-division to promote it as another tool for crop residue management," she added. Kusum plans a meeting of her self-help group with the Kurukshetra Development Board (KDB) authorities to prioritise women Para Art participants for stall placement at the next annual International Gita Mahotsav....