The spread of COVID-19 in Maharashtra is expected to affect the textile mills in Tamil Nadu as nearly 40 % of the yarn produced here is sold to the weaving units in Maharashtra.
Industry sources said the Maharashtra government has not restricted movement of vehicles and has not asked the powerloom units to stop production. However, fearing the spread of the pandemic, several migrant workers at the weaving clusters in Maharashtra are returning to their home State. This is likely to affect production in the weaving units. Tamil Nadu, which is the largest yarn producer in the country, sells 40 % of the yarn to weaving clusters, such as Bhiwandi and Ichalkaranji, in that State.
The sources pointed out that Maharashtra has 12 lakh powerlooms as against 6.5 lakhs in Tamil Nadu. Hence, its demand for yarn is huge. With the spread of COVID-19 and worker shortage in Maharashtra, the textile mills in Tamil Nadu are likely to see 10 % to 20 % impact for a couple of months. Any restriction to control the spread of the pandemic should be introduced in a phased manner so that the workers and businesses are not affected, they said.
Source: The Hindu, India Friday, 16 April 2021