What is "chunaru"

Chunaru is a Bengali Hindu caste whose traditional occupation is the manufacture of slaked lime from the shell of snails. After the advent of quick lime from limestone and the arrival of cement as mortar ingredient, the Chunaru struggled to make a living of their traditional vocation and gradually dwindled in numbers. According to Dr. Maniklal Sinha, there are only about two to three hundred Chunaru families in West Bengal today.