PERUMBAVOOR:Though on the recovery mode after the note ban and GST, the incessant rain and flood have once again forced Perumbavoor’s economy onto the back foot. The timber- based industries, which are the soul of Perumbavoor, has taken a major hit as several factories were inundated after the Periyar inundated several parts of the region as well as the areas nearby.
The worst hit is the plywood sector which according to factory owners incurred a loss of the tune of `100 crore over the past two weeks. Meerankunju and son Sadath who run the ‘Chaithanya’ plywood factory in Kandanthara outside Perumbavoor lost everything. Sadath said they had suffered losses of over `2 crore in the deluge. Mould appeared on the wood and manufactured plywood after it remained inundated for three days. “The raw materials, including imported ones, were swept away by the floodwaters. The machines and electrical equipment have been damaged. The wood stocked at the yard was floating in the water.Raw materials worth around `1.8 crore and plywood stock were lost in the flood. The plywood alone can be used now. But it will not fetch one-fifth the price now,” he said.
Meerankunju said they are now pinning hopes on the insurance company and interest-free loan from the government for flood-hit industries. “If the insurance company can settle our claims without delay, it will be a relief. The government has promised us interest-free loan. It will take us at least two months to resume the operations. Under such trying circumstances, we cannot afford procedural delay on the part of authorities,” he said.
Sawmill Owners and Plywood Manufacturers’ Association president M M Mujeeb Rahman said 40 plywood factories in Perumbavoor suffered considerable damage and 30 partially affected. “Around 70 plywood factories in Perumbavoor were damaged in the deluge. Each factory incurred losses ranging from Rs 50 lakh-2 crore. The government has promised Rs 10 lakhs worth interest-free loans for the industries. We will approach the government to raise the loan amount up to Rs 25-30 lakh,” he said.
Furniture
Several furniture shops situated close to the Periyar also suffered large-scale damage in the floods. Furniture is a major industry in the Perumbavoor belt. “The wood for making furniture got washed away in the flood. Mould has appeared on the manufactured furniture,” said Kasim, a furniture shop owner.
Migrant workers
Post-floods, majority of the migrant workers returned home to their native places after the jobs in the region dried up. “The plywood factories affected by the flood have stopped functioning. The prevailing crisis in Perumbavoor is akin to that in the demonetisation’s immediate aftermath,” Azadullah hailing from Malda said. According to him, usually in the morning time, workers throng the Perumbavoor market looking for work. “These days the Perumbavoor market is completely deserted. It will take two-three months before it will start bustling with activity again,” he said.
40 plywood factories suffered major damage