CHENNAI: Mounds of raw materials, noisy machines, utensils in various stages of production, and workers covered in dust, toiling in a grime-filled furnace round-the-clock. This is a typical day at the small-scale vessel manufacturing units in Choolai — a hub for stainless steel utensil manufacturers for over four decades.
Run by families for multiple generations, there are over 50 operational units, employing 200 to 300 local families on a contractual or daily wage basis. The finished products from the units are distributed to shops across the city and to neighbouring districts like Thiruvallur and Kanchipuram.
Even as the industry was grappling with its share of problems, the pandemic only worsened the plight of its workers by incurring heavy losses and keeping them away from the business. Having remained shut during the consecutive lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, the workshops have now resumed with full speed, rigour, and a hope of recovery.
This year has seen a spike in demand and prices of all vessels have been hiked by Rs 30. While this may not be sufficient to sustain their livelihoods in the long run, the makers are striving to stay afloat with the bare minimum for the moment. With their kith migrating for better opportunities, here is some glimmer of hope from eight workshops in the vicinity.