Covid second wave makes rhythm of looms discordant in Odisha

By Express News Service
KENDRAPARA:  Just because the handloom sector  was trying up at  the trail of revival three months again submit Covid-19 first wave, it has as soon as once more been hit by the second wave disaster. A steep surge in instances, lockdown, restrictions on motion of individuals and automobiles from different states and unavailability of uncooked supplies have aggravated the issues of round 5,000 weavers within the district. 

The looms have fallen silent once more as a number of weavers at the moment are not eager on weaving sarees, lungis, dhotis and towels, mentioned Ajaya Behera, a weaver of Kusuipala village on the outskirts of Kendrapara city. While uncooked materials availability has at all times been a priority, even advertising the present merchandise retains haunting the weavers.

For the weavers, marriages and festivals present a chance to earn extra however the ongoing restrictions have adversely affected the gross sales of handloom merchandise particularly sarees within the district. “The weaving industry is already  marred by several problems and the virus has only worsened it,” mentioned Harekrushna Das, president of weavers’ cooperative society of Kusuipala.

Several weavers, a couple of months again, weaved massive numbers of sarees and different gadgets simply because the scenario was bettering however the second wave has made an enormous dent on gross sales. The second wave is prone to have a larger influence on gross sales as a consequence of rise in infections in rural areas. Tapan Das of Korua village mentioned he used to promote sarees, dhotis, lungis and gamchhas within the native market however he stopped weaving a month again. With material retailers now closed, there are not any takers for his merchandise. 

Deputy director of Handloom and Textile division, Indramani Kandi mentioned the State authorities final yr had granted  `15 crore to  Boyanika  and `1 crore to Odisha Tussar Federation SERIFED (Odisha Cooperative Tassar & Silk Federation Limited )   to buy merchandise from the weavers to mitigate their plight. “We had purchased products from the weavers and are committed to help them during the second wave,” he mentioned.