Due to coronavirus, the industry turnover could fall by 70-80 per cent, representatives say.
A 400-year-old wood carving industry in western Uttar Pradesh that generates hundreds of crores in annual turnover from exports is floundering because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Saharanpur's famous wood carving industry, which employs at least 2 lakh people, including artisans, labourers and suppliers, is opening up again after a two-month shutdown, but things are not the same.
The industry is almost 100 per cent export oriented and no one is willing to buy in these times.
According to the government, this industry has a turnover of more than Rs 400 crore per annum. But local industry representatives say the turnover was double of that and this year it could fall by as much as 70-80 per cent.
It is not just workers like Mr Ahmed whose earnings have taken a hit.
This has extracted a huge financial cost from Ahsan Ahmed, a third-generation artisan employed on daily-wage basis at one of the numerous wood carving units in the town.
"The current position is that only a few workers are required in factories. Earlier, I used to manage to earn about Rs 12,000 a month. But now, I am only managing to earn about Rs 1,500 a week and I am in debt. It will be difficult to continue like this. I have to pay rent and electricity charges, on which there has been no rebate," says the 42-year-old whose earnings support a family of six.
It is not just workers like Mr Ahmed whose earnings have taken a hit.
Export unit owner Mohd Shahid says he has had to cut his workforce drastically even after reopening his unit in the last fortnight.
"Earlier, we used to be at the carving unit 24 hours a day, but now I am barely spending 8 hours; there are few orders left. Half of my orders were cancelled and there aren't many new orders coming in. I can only retain 30-40 per cent of my workers. If the current economic condition persists, this industry will not survive," Mr Shahid says.
Many of Saharanpur's exporters say that till the time the coronavirus pandemic is not controlled, their businesses will continue to get affected.
"Eighty-ninety per cent of our in-hand orders from America and Europe have been cancelled. Our export promotion council and the government had requested them to keep the orders on hold, but they cancelled them," says President of the Saharanpur Wood Carver's Association Sheikh Faizan Ahmed.
The news does not bode well for Mr Ahmed, the artisan. "I feel I may have to drive an autorickshaw; a fruit stall may be a better idea."
