The handlooms sector in Orissa that was facing a crisis due to poor demand for cotton lungis and towels for the last several years has received a new lease of life with the production of linen and mercerized cotton fabrics. The textiles and handlooms department is now creating awareness among local weavers to produce linen and mercerized cotton fabrics to meet the high demand and get better remuneration.

Weavers of Khurda, district had carved a niche for themselves in the cotton garments sector of the state in the post-independence era. Among the most sought garments across the state were cotton lungis, saris and towels produced by local weavers. The said garments even had a good market in states like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.

However, mass production of cotton garments in textile mills at Coimbatore, Surat and Mumbai had dealt a death blow to Khurda’s handlooms sector in the 90s. Better quality and low price of machine-made clothes had virtually wiped out handloom products of local weavers. To revive Khurda’s handlooms sector, the textiles department has recently introduced production of linen and mercerized cotton fabrics in Bolgarh and Jatni areas. The regional textile department office is now offering linen and mercerized cotton threads at low prices, new looms, training facility and bank loans to entice weavers to produce new varieties of fabrics.

The textile department is also getting linen threads from Kolkata and mercerized cotton threads from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu to meet the demand. The textile department has proposed to offer raw materials to weavers and collect finished products from them for marking through its nodal agency Bayanika.