On a desolate stretch of Nangamangalam village in Panapakkam, the sound of power looms resume inside a shed after a short power cut.
A lone worker adjusts the threads on the four looms that are functional, while more than a dozen looms lie idle.
Over the last few years, Ramu, a weaver who runs the unit, has downsized both labour and production capacity after weaving took a hit due to GST.
“I had 13 workers earlier. Now, there are only three. I am unable to pay them proper wages. There are 23 looms in my unit, but I do operate all the looms as it is difficult to get ‘paavu’ . Small weavers like me can no longer stay in the trade due to GST. Five years ago, there were nearly 500 power looms in and around Panapakkam. Now, only 200 are functioning,” said Mr. Ramu.
Losing out
Many areas in Sholinghur assembly constituency such as Panapakkam, Rendadi, Ponnai, R.K. Pettai and Kodaikkal are home to several weavers, who manufacture lungis, and many of them narrate the same story.
B. Parthiban, another weaver, said, “There is a tax for every step of weaving, starting from the thread to dyeing, manufacturing to sale.
“This requires a lot of investment. We get orders mainly during Deepavali and Ramzan. But orders are declining and we are struggling to stay on. We used to earn at least ₹700-800 a day earlier. Now, getting ₹400 itself is a struggle. We have not faced such a crisis before.”
With weavers losing out on their livelihood, farmers are no better. Drought has hit agriculture in this part of Vellore district. The dry lands in many villages are proof of the severe drought, say farmers.
“There is no water for agriculture and drinking. Areas such as Vengapattu, Paranji, Paravathur, Kunathir, Mettu Kunathur, Kodaikkal and Banavaram are severely affected.
“Paddy and groundnut are some of the main crops cultivated here. But farmers have reduced the extent of cultivation due to scarcity of water,” said R. Subash, youth wing president of Thamizhaga Vivasaigal Sangam, Vellore East district.
Delay in payment has dissuaded many farmers from taking up sugarcane cultivation, he said.
“The sugar mills do not settle payments on time, and keep it pending for two or three years,” he added.
With mercury levels rising, residents have been struggling with drinking water scarcity.
“I dread to think what will happen during peak summer. Already, water supply has dwindled. We are getting water once in five days or even longer. There is no water for farmers rearing cattle,” Nadhiya, a resident of Banavaram said.
Residents of Sholinghur Town Panchayat also echo concerns on scarcity of drinking water.
For candidates in the fray, addressing water scarcity is among the top priorities. AIADMK’s G. Sampathu said 70% of the residents are pinpointing at water scarcity due to drought. “The only solution is by implementing the Combined Water Supply Scheme from Godavari, Palar, Ponnai and Cauvery rivers.
“There is no rain for the last few years that has resulted in drought. Bringing water through Ponnai will benefit residents of Sholinghur,” he said.
Among his assurances are better roads for villages and bus connectivity for interior villages.
A. Asokan of DMK said borewells sunk five years ago have failed. “We will sink new borewells to solve the water crisis,” he said.
He has assured to upgrade Sholinghur town panchayat into a municipality, establish a bypass road to reduce congestion in Sholinghur town, implement the long-pending rope car project for Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy Temple and extend the Combined Water Supply Scheme with river Cauvery as source to Sholinghur, Kaveripakkam and Nemili.
Apart from water, T.G. Mani of AMMK has promised to upgrade schools and provide better bus connectivity.
S. Malayarajan of MNM said he will address the needs of farmers and make Sholinghur town panchayat into a new taluk.
