Floods have damaged the looms in Kerala. Weavers will need at least Rs 40,000 will be required to repair each loom. It will take at least five to six months to repair the looms. Weavers won’t have any work till the looms are repaired. Unlike other sectors, weavers have been affected the most as all raw material and looms are lost.

There are more than 200 weavers who work on looms at their homes in the Paravoor and Chendamangalam regions. The yarn, thread and dye solutions are provided by various handloom weavers’ cooperative societies. Weavers work at home and provide the finished product to these societies.

There are five such societies functioning in Paravoor. Each society has its own handloom manufacturing units. Of the five, the worst-affected was the Chendamangalam Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Society. The entire manufacturing unit was submerged during the floods, damaging 45 looms. Aid is required urgently to save the Chendamangalam handloom industry from extinction.

The loss for five societies would amount to approximately Rs 15 crores. The amount is not big, but if the sector is not revived, it would mean the death of this traditional craft, which recently got the GI (Geographical Indication) tag.