Hyderabad: Weavers lives in tatters

Hyderabad: About 35 Boduppal weavers who specialize in Pochampally sarees are facing a bleak future. The lockdown has literally brought the weaving community on to its knees. The suddenness of the lockdown has hit the weavers in several ways. The orders on which they were working on did not materialize and the old stock that they have has not been picked up.

Saini Pullaiah, one of Boduppal weavers, said, "We are unable to pay our house rent. Since three months there is no income. The distributor has refused to pay him his monthly income of Rs 15,000 and he said until and unless there is an order there is no pay for us. The state government needs to come to the rescue of weavers."

"There are no buyers for old stock and we do not have insurance. Only the state government can help weavers society by buying the old stock. Before the lockdown, I used to weave around 8 to 10 Pochampally sarees and earn around Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 per month but due to the current situation I am forced to borrow money from my friend now I am thinking how to repay him the money," said B Chandramouli, one of Boduppal weaver.

"I am the only bread winner. We are requesting the government to purchase the Pochampally sarees. If this continues there would be many suicides," said Venkatesh Mena, one of Boduppal weavers. "This situation is similar to all the weavers in Telangana and let it be an individual weaver or workers working in a handloom. There are around 22,000 handlooms in the state, "With no material coming from outside, production has come to a standstill. The weaver doesn't even have proper food to eat for the past three months. Hence government should look into the matter seriously," said Cherku Swamy, member of Handloom Weaver Society, LB Nagar.