Handloom weavers in Ernakulam district, mostly those from cooperative societies at Chendamangalam, are in dire straits with about 10 lakh metres of hand-woven materials meant for school uniforms lying unsold with the second and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic preventing the reopening of schools.
The reopening of the schools this month offers some hope, says T.S. Baby, a veteran of the handloom industry at Chendamangalam, near North Paravur, which has symbolised the ups and downs of the traditional weaving industry in the State.
The school uniform material is worth about ₹2 crore and the lives of hundreds of artisans depend on the disposal of the material, says Mr. Baby adding that the handloom weaving sector had been in a difficult financial situation since the floods of of August 2018.
