The granite quarry industry, which is already in crisis due to a slump in exports, suffered yet another blow with the incessant rains lashing various parts of Karimnagar district since one week.
Following the boom in the granite industry, several entrepreneurs entered the granite industry and within a short duration, around 230 granite quarries have come up in various parts of the district following the demand for the “tan brown and maple red” variety of granite produced in the district.
However, due to high production of granite blocks in the district and non-availability of market in the country and international market particularly China, the stocks have piled up much to the dismay of the entrepreneurs who have invested in the granite industry. Due to the incessant rain the production has come to standstill. Several thousands of labour force including skilled and unskilled who migrated to the district from Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Bihar, West Bengal have no employment following the rain.
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The machinery including huge cranes, trucks remained idle at the quarries due to slippery ghat roads and rains. Hardly 50 odd granite quarries are functioning normally and the new entrants into the field are a worried lot over the decline in the export market. Sri Venkatesh Granites (SVG) managing director Venugopal Karwa said that the granite production had declined by over 50 per cent due to inundation of underground quarries in the district. The closure of quarries following the rains had also denied employment to the workforce, he said and added that the granite production declined from 50,000 cubic meters per day to 20,000 cubic meters per day.