Clay shortage hits pottery workers

Raja Waidyasekera, Tissamahaama special corr

Pottery industrialists in Beliatta are facing a crisis due to the acute shortage of clay for production of pottery. Traditional pottery industrialists say that clay veins in the area have dried up and that they have to transport clay from distant places incurring heavy expenditure.

They say there is an acute shortage of coconut shells and firewood and the prices of these have shot up three fold.

Traditional pottery industrialists say that their children do not wish to engage in the pottery industry as it is not a money spinner.