KENDRAPARA: Two months after cyclone Fani wreaked havoc in the coastal district, weavers of Kendrapara are still running from pillar to post to avail government aid to get new looms in order to start their lives afresh.
Livelihood of around 2,000 weavers of more than 12 villages in the worst-affected Garadapur and Marsaghai blocks was hit due to the cyclone.
Kailash Sahoo, a weaver of Ramchandrapur village said even as the government had announced assistance for weavers affected by the storm, it is yet to reach them.
Neither the government nor insurance companies are helping the weavers in distress.
The weavers alleged that officials concerned were yet to assess their losses.
“My six-room thatched house and the loom caved in due to the cyclone. We have loans and are wondering how to repay,” Anam Sahoo from Gobindapur said.
Another weaver Pabitra Mohan Sahoo of Haripur village said he used to earn Rs 8,000-10,000 per month before the cyclone changed everything. He said all his three looms were damaged in the storm.
“I need new looms to start my life from scratch,” he said.
President of Mangala Weavers Cooperative Society of Korua village Srikant Nayak said the weaving industry is already plagued with several problems and the cyclone has worsened the situation.
He said since weavers cannot switch their trade, a large number of them from the district have left for Surat and Ahmedabad in Gujarat and Ludhiana in Punjab.
Inspector of Handloom department, Cuttack Gobinda Jena said as per a survey conducted by his department around 60,000 weavers from across the state were affected due to the cyclone.
They will be provided with new looms and tools after funds for the purpose are sanctioned by the Government.
“We hope that all artisans in the region will be back working on their individual looms in one to two months”, he assured.
Unending woes
Losses not assessed by officials concerned as yet
Neither the government nor insurance companies helping weavers in distress
A large number of weavers have left for Surat, Ahmedabad and Ludhiana
New looms and tools to be provided from the funds sanctioned by the government