Labour Process in Informal Sector: A Case Study of Carpet Industry

The Carpet industry is an important informal sector in Kashmir, provides employment opportunities to lakhs of people in the rural and semi-urban areas of Kashmir. The carpet industry has made a significant contribution to production, employment, and export of handicraft products and contributes to economic development. Regardless of generating growth, weavers in carpet industry continue to be locked in the unequal and exploitative labour process. The purpose of the present study is to examine the labour process in the carpet industry with specific focus on organization of production, capital accumulation and wage pattern among carpet weavers in Pulwama district of Kashmir. The present study is both primary and secondary in nature. The primary data collected from four blocks of Pulwama district through interview-schedule, focused group discussion and field observation. The key findings revealed that there is diversity in production relation, weavers are facing with a problem of middlemen/master weaver exploitation, low earning, and long working hours and piece-wage is a mode of surplus extraction for capitalists in the carpet industry.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles by Exiguobacterium profundum isolated from carpet industry effluent

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using microorganisms has received profound interest because of their potential to synthesize nanoparticles of various size, shape and morphology. The main objective of the current study was to evaluate the synthesis of silver nanoparticles by a bacterial strain, Exiguobacterium profundum with potential dye degrading ability isolated from carpet industry effluent. The strain was tested for its ability to degrade various dyes including Methylene Blue, Malachite Green, Congo Red, Crystal Violet, Coomassie Brilliant Blue, Methyl Red, Sudan Black. Treatment of the bacteria with 1 mM AgNO3, showed its ability to form silver nanoparticles. This was confirmed by visual observation and UV–Vis absorption at 450 nm. Further characterization of nanoparticles by Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the size of silver nanoparticles in 20-40 nm range. Therefore, the present study is a demonstration of an efficient synthesis of stable silver nanoparticles using Exiguobacterium profundum which could be utilized in dye degradation thereby reducing the pollution from industrial effluents.

Sustainable Use of Waste Polypropylene Fibres to Enhance the Abrasion and Skid Resistance of Two-Stage Concrete

Two-stage concrete (TSC), also known as prepacked aggregate concrete (PAC), differs from traditional concrete in terms of site application and manufacturing process. Although this type of concrete is not a replacement for conventional concrete applications, it is an ideal option for unusual and difficult placing conditions, especially for repairing existing concrete structures. In other words, this type of concrete is a newly developed concrete and made by placing and packing coarse aggregates and fibres in a designed formwork, then injecting a cement grout mixture into the free spaces between the aggregate particles using gravity or a pump device. For the mentioned system and others, concrete components used as floors or pavements must have an adequate degree of roughness during service life when exposed to skid and abrasion. Thus, this research work introduced a new concrete method (prepacked aggregates fibre-reinforced concrete—PAFRC) with high abrasion and skid resistance reinforced with waste polypropylene (PP) fibres from the carpet industry. The effects of PP fibres at 0–1% dosages on the mechanical properties, abrasion resistance, and skid resistance of PAFRC mixes were studied. The results revealed that the addition of PP fibres reduces the compressive strength of concrete mixtures. Nonetheless, the presence of PP fibres results in PAFRC mixes having higher tensile strength, abrasion resistance, and skid resistance than plain concrete. It was detected that in both grouting methods (gravity and pump), with the addition of PP fibre up to a specific dosage, the resistance against abrasion and skid was increased by about 26% compared to plain PAC mix. Additionally, the outcomes indicated that PAFRC is a promising material for applications such as pavements with high abrasion and skid resistance.

An Integrated Approach to Assess Potential and Sustainability of Handmade Carpet Production in Different Areas of the East Azerbaijan Province of Iran

A handmade carpet is one of the most well-known handcrafts around the world. Iranian handmade carpets are known as luxury products in domestic and international markets due to their strength and product value. The main objective of this research is to apply a geographical information system (GIS)-based, spatially-explicit approach to assess the sustainability of handmade carpet production in the East Azerbaijan Province of Iran, which is internationally famous for the diversity and quality of its handmade carpets. To achieve this goal, we employed 23 criteria in four main clusters: population characteristics, education status, employment status, and business activities related to the carpet industry. In order to determine the significance of each criterion, an integrated approach of fuzzy and network analysis processes was applied. Accordingly, the GIS aggregation function was employed to map and identify the areas that are suitable and of high potential for handmade carpet production. The results indicate that there is a very high potential for handmade carpet production in some areas of Tabriz, Osku, Marageh, Heris, and Meyaneh counties. However, high sustainability also extends to some areas in Marand, Bonab, and Kalaybar counties. The obtained maps present the potential of each city and village for handmade carpet production. The research also aims to evaluate and suggest relevant policies and practices to overcome the identified challenges in order to promote, develop, and preserve the handmade carpet sector. The results of this research are of great importance for different stakeholders in the handmade production and for decision makers and authorities in the East Azerbaijan Province. The results can be used to determine the potential of each area for handmade carpet production and to highlight potential challenges. This research also presents a new approach for sustainability assessments in studies on handcrafts and, in particular, carpets.

Carpet Weaving Occupation in Kashmir: An Analysis of Socio-economic Conditions of Carpet Weavers of Pulwama District

The carpet industry of Kashmir occupies an important place in handicrafts. The carpet Industry plays a significant role in the economic development of the rural areas. Carpet weaving in Kashmir is largely practiced in the informal sector. It contributes significantly by providing employment opportunities to the rural people in Kashmir. The present paper attempts to make an in depth study of socio-economic conditions, problems and challenges of carpet weavers in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. The study is based on both, primary and secondary data sources. The primary data is gathered through interview schedule. The study revealed that the situation of carpet weavers is not satisfactory due to low education level, health issues, low wages, lack of government support and exploitation by the middleman/master weaver.

Carpet Bombings

Outdoor images predominate in our cultural conceptions of “air pollution” even though indoor air quality (IAQ) is typically tenfold more contaminated. New modeling of LA smog in Science suggests that source emissions from indoor and personal care products contribute more to that city’s infamous poor air quality than vehicular combustion. In similar paradox, even as outdoor smoke from California wildfires in 2017 pushed PM2.5 levels past red into unprecedented magenta alerts, children were sickened inside school classrooms after new carpets were laid. This auto-ethnographic paper chronicles our ongoing struggle to remove those carpets from “Beacon” Elementary, a bilingual Mexican-American school in California's Central Valley that has suffered decades of racialized neglect of its facilities. Forging through the uncertain epidemiology of environmental illness, “Beacon” mothers began documenting their children’s ailments after the new carpet installation, but the school district dismissed the mothers' citizen science. The Superintendent continued to vouch for the carpet’s safety based on the industry’s voluntary “Green Label.” A historical section of this article therefore recounts how and why the carpet industry invented this label in the aftermath of a scandal in which new carpets sickened a fifth of the EPA workforce at their headquarters in Washington, DC between 1987 and 1988. Thirty years later, once again, three California environmental regulatory agencies are scrutinizing the carpet industry for hazardous ingredients.