BALLARI: The well-known jeans production hub of South India -- Ballari -- is also being impaced in the wake of COVID-19, which is significant as nearly 70,000 workers depend on the nearly 500 jeans manufacturing units in the district for their livelihood were nearly 70,000 workers.
For the last two weeks, production of jeans and related products has drastically come down, while exports have also been halted as a result. Denim products from Ballari are exported to China, Japan, Italy, and Sri Lanka, among other countries.
Tapsavilal Jain, whos is the president of the Ballari Jeans Factories Unit said that the outbreak of coronavirus has affected exports, which in turn also hit the business of most of the industries here, since they are export-oriented.
“More than 500 denim products-related factories are located in the Ballari district, and the raw materials used to be imported from China and Pakistan. But now China is totally shut for business, and without raw materials, it is difficult to run these industries,” Jain said.
Laxammavva H, a woman employed at a jeans factory in Ballari, said that the workers are not being kept in the loop and many daily-wagers are unable to come to work.
“It’s difficult for use to lead our families without jobs. For the last one month, we are getting daily work. Five of my family members work here in factories and we are all in fear of losing our jobs now,” she rued.