Businessmen trying to connect Loom's fabric

Bhiwandi, echoing day and night with the noise of power loom machines, is called 'Loom Nagari', but this area adjoining Mumbai has suffered a strange silence with lockdown. Due to the government's move to shut down the entire country and fear of coronavirus, most of the artisans have returned to their villages and homes and have also been hit hard on business. When the lockdown was relaxed, the factories were opened, but the businessmen are forced to work hard to raise workers and help the traders.

Bhiwandi is said to be Asia's largest textile production center. There are about 40 lakh looms running here, of which 10-12 lakh power looms and 8-10 lakh Chinese rapier looms. Apart from these, 20-25 lakh old-style ie English loom also works. More than 10 lakh laborers work in these looms. When the machines stopped at the time of lockdown, about 90 percent of these workers left the city and returned to their villages. The remaining 10 percent of the workers are those who live here with their families and are associated with the status of an employee, not a worker in factories.

The biggest challenge for the Loom owners is to bring in 90 percent of the workers who left the Loom. The workers and laborers here say that the biggest reason for such a large scale migration from Bhiwandi was rumor. This rumor created fear among the workers that the work will not be found now, due to the reverse virus, life will be lost. But now the picture is clear and efforts are being made to call the workers. It is believed that everything will be alright in 3-4 months.

Bhiwandi Auto Powerloom Weavers Association Chairman Pradeep Jindal said that even after the lockdown is lifted, it will take at least three months to get the business back on track. Everything went well and the artisans were tried, even then the business would be able to catch the rhythm around Diwali. Vijay Nogja of Swami Fabrics reported many troubles. He said that the entire industry has collapsed during the lockdown. If the laborers are not found, it is difficult to turn the looms completely. If half-done, the deficit gap will be widened. That is why the power loom owners are trying to convince the workers who have gone to the village to talk and are trying to get some people back by talking to them through the association. The loom owners are so upset that they are even ready to send workers advance and train tickets.

Their problem is also legitimate because if the shortage of the workers ends, then they take on other fronts. The most important front of these is the payment of stuck. The last ten days of the financial year are very important for businessmen. At the same time, they settle their year-long dues and stuck bills. But the lockdown started around the time the bill was passed, causing full payment for the last quarter of the last financial year. In this way, the bills of traders have been stuck since January. Without getting paid, the cost of running the loom, the wages of the workers, and the salaries of the employees has also become difficult.

Managing Director of Kabira Fabrics Vinod Gupta said that with barely 10 percent of the work, it is very difficult to turn on the loom and if the loom is not operated then the remaining workers will also leave. He said that banks are talking about giving a 20 percent additional loan. Installments of this 5-year loan will start after 1 year. If this loan is received then the traders will get some relief. In Bhiwandi, about 50 million meters of cloth is prepared in a day, which goes to other parts of the country besides Maharashtra. Loom owners who run looms in Bhiwandi say that the business here is connected. Even before the lockdown opened, the government had permitted to start the unit to work, but hardly 10 percent of work is being done. The reason for this is the processing units. There is only a consignment of previous orders there, so why will they take the new goods. Merchants are also unable to pay the weavers and processors because they have a huge amount of unsold stock. Most of Mumbai's major textile markets are still closed, so there is no possibility of getting stuck payments. The payment of about Rs 5,000 crore for this entire chain is implicated. Businessmen feel that the money will come to their hands only when the market is fully opened.