Oyal's Centuries-Old Brass Business Crumbles: Factories Shut Down, Livelihoods Lost

• Oyal, once known as 'Brass City' in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, is witnessing the decline of its traditional brass industry.
• The town, famous for brass utensils like 'batua' and 'lota', is seeing factories close due to inflation, rising raw material costs, and government neglect.
• Lack of a railway station, which previously facilitated trade and raw material transport, has severely impacted the business.
• Modernity, cheap fiber and steel alternatives, and the high price of brass (700-800 rupees) have drastically reduced demand for traditional brassware.
• The ancestral trade, which supported hundreds of families, is now almost extinct, with 70% of brass work ceasing.