In the compound of the Karappuram Lime Shell Vyavasaya (Industrial) Cooperative Society at Muhamma on the banks of Vembanad Lake in Alappuzha lies a huge pile of white shells worth ₹20 lakh with no takers.
The society during its glory days had some 800 members who harvested white lime shells (fossilised black clams) from the bottom of the lake. Over the years, the demand for the shells in the market dwindled and the society’s membership fell to six. Recently, it decided to entirely shift its business from white lime shells to black shells (obtained from the living black clam population) in a desperate attempt to turn around its fortunes. Though it regained some members, the future of its lime shell business remains bleak.
Lime shells (white and black), once a much-sought-after raw material for the manufacture of cement, calcium carbide, paper, poultry feed making, and in agriculture for neutralising acidity in the soil, are finding few takers nowadays with the entry of cheap alternatives such as dolomite and limestone. The traditional sector, which employs around 11,000 people directly and tens of thousands of people indirectly in the State, has been facing headwinds, and societies are seeking government help to stay afloat.
