The Wayanad tragedy has resulted in subdued Onam celebrations in Kerala, which has severely impacted the knitwear manufacturing companies in Tirupur and the textile traders in Erode.
The EKM Abdul Gani Textile Market, also called Gani Market in Erode, is home to hundreds of textile vendors who are struggling financially as a result of the festival’s lack of business.
“In light of the Wayanad landslide in the adjacent state, we expected a significant decline in Onam business; nonetheless, we did not stock clothing such as white “veshti,” “mundu,” lungis, inner garments and other products that Kerala traders typically brought from us in bulk before the festival. Clothes stagnation was not a problem for the textile industry because production was slowed down months in advance,” said K Selvaraj, president of Erode Gani Weekly Market Association.
When it came to buying clothes, wholesale buyers from all across Kerala used to swarm the market at least a month in advance. In addition to the weak demand from the bordering state, Tamil Nadu’s internal market is not doing as well as it did in past years in response to the tragic landslip in Wayanad.
Due to a deficiency of orders from the adjoining state for Onam, some manufacturing units in Tirupur have ceased operations. The worst hit were about 200 small-scale manufacturers who worked year-round to produce clothing exclusively for Keralan customers in locations like Kumaramangalam in Namakkal and Ammapet in Salem. Traders in the Gani market used to make about Rs. 100 crore from Onam business each year, but this season’s sales are still a pitiful Rs. 10 crore, added Selvaraj.
