For a number of handloom weavers in Coimbatore district, the lockdown that got here into pressure final month to regulate the unfold of the pandemic has resulted in both much less work or much less pay.

For example, 64-year-old Varadaraj at Alakombu close to Sirumugai used to weave 4 sarees per week and earn ₹ 1600 a saree. Now, he weaves two sarees per week and the funds aren’t common, he says. “Even if we get ₹ 100 or less, we take it because we need the money,” he says.

For the handloom weavers in Sirumugai space, uncooked silk comes from Karnataka and the sarees woven are despatched to Bengaluru for gross sales. With lockdown in Karnataka too, there isn’t a motion of silk yarn or the sarees. The months of Could and June are peak seasons due to weddings. Final 12 months and this 12 months, gross sales throughout these months had been fully affected, he says.

Manoharan, a grasp weaver close to Negamam who sells to non-public merchants, says the weavers got jobs for about two weeks after the lockdown. After that, the grasp weavers didn’t have uncooked materials. “Most of the weavers are idle now. They have no work. We do not have raw material and with no sales, we are unable to pay the weavers too,” he says.

“Weavers in Coimbatore district may have stocks worth ₹ 50 crore. They are the worst hit because of the lockdown. The government should pay ₹ 5000 compensation to each handloom weaver,” he stated.

Within the case of Sirumugai, a lot of the merchandise are bought to Cooptex. An official at Co-optex stated the weavers got the manufacturing plan for 2021-2022 and manufacturing is happening. Nevertheless, since most of its shops in Coimbatore, Tiruppur, and Erode districts stay shut due to the lockdown, there isn’t a gross sales now.

An official within the Handloom Division right here stated that about 60 weaving societies within the district, with 30,000 handloom weavers, have been given work to the weavers throughout the lockdown too. There isn’t any drop in work, however there aren’t any gross sales. So, there are shares. Nevertheless, gross sales will choose up instantly after the lockdown. “This year, we were better prepared for the lockdown based on last year’s experience. Hence, we planned ahead to ensure weavers continue to get work,” the official stated.