Credit: DH Photo
Over 20 istriwallahs in the Mahadevpura area were given eco-friendly LPG iron boxes at an event by Udhyam Learning Foundation and Whitefield Rising, a community group.
The event, held on Thursday, is part of Udhyam’s Istri Project, which has helped over 6,000 istri vyapaaris (vendors who press clothes for a living) swap coal iron boxes for LPG-enabled boxes.
“Coal iron boxes take close to an hour to heat up and they typically have to set it up twice a day. That means they lose two hours a day just setting up the box,” says Sekhar Sahoo, marketing manager at Udhyam. LPG boxes will heat up within two minutes and can be switched off as and when needed. “Many of the istriwallahs are unable to take a break once they start their shift because they cannot step away from the coal boxes,” explains Sahoo.
According to a survey, the added two hours a day amounts to additional revenue of Rs 50,000 per year per vendor. It is also less expensive than coal, Sahoo says. “Coal takes longer to heat and so more of it is needed for the same amount of clothes. Currently, other istriwallahs who have switched to LPG boxes are using five-litre cylinders, which are replaced roughly every 10 days,” he elaborates.
The LPG boxes, which cost around Rs 6,000, have a burner inside and a small opening to let in oxygen. Sahoo shares that these boxes eliminate smoke. They are also equipped with a regulator to control the heat.
Udhyam is currently in talks with the Bangalore Apartments’ Federation to get more istri vyapaaris onto LPG iron boxes.