Small diamond units stay closed despite Surat civic body nod

SURAT: Despite a week after the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) permitted two workers on one emery wheel in diamond units, the small and medium diamond units are yet to start operations.
The primary reason cited by the unit owners is that they can’t afford the cost of the rapid antigen test of all workers which has been made mandatory by the civic body and secondly, the diamond workers who have gone to their hometowns in Saurashtra are reluctant to come back due to fear of Covid-19 spread in Surat.
Industry sources said that barring the big and medium diamond units, majority of the small diamond units with less than 50 emery wheels are yet to restart operations. Out of the total 5 lakh diamond workforce in the industry, the small diamond units employ over 1.5 lakh workers.
Ghanshyam Gabani, a small diamond unit owner in Varachha told TOI, “The guidelines issued for the diamond industry are very strict. Operating a unit with one or two workers on the emery wheel will only increase the cost of production when we know there is weak demand for diamonds in the international market.”
According to Gabani, his 80-odd diamond workers had moved to their hometowns in Saurashtra in May and that they are hesitant to return fearing infection.
Another diamond unit owner, Chandu Sheta told TOI, “The electricity cost for running emery wheels with two workers will be the same. Earlier, four workers would sit on the emery wheel and we could sustain the unit with the good output. Now, even with two worker rule, it would mean running the unit with huge losses. It is better to keep the unit shut and wait for the normalcy to return.”
The civic body has made it mandatory for the industrial units and textile markets to bear the expenses for the rapid antigen test of their workers and staff members.
According to the regional chairman of Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), Dinesh Navadiya, less than 30% diamond units have restarted operations post-lockdown and that too with less than 50% of workers.
“This has resulted in drastic fall in output which in now less than 25%. There is a huge manpower shortage in the industry as well. The diamond workers are yet to return from Saurashtra due to the deteriorating situation in the city.”
Babu Kathiriya, president of Surat Diamond Association (SDA) said, “Over 2,000 diamond workers have been infected with Covid-19 in the last two months. This has spread fear among other workers and stopping them from returning from home towns.”