Wayanad Tragedy Hits Onam Sales, Textile Sector Struggles
The recent Wayanad tragedy has led to muted Onam celebrations in Kerala, significantly affecting knitwear manufacturers in Tirupur and textile traders in Erode.
In Erode, the EKM Abdul Gani Textile Market, commonly known as Gani Market, is struggling as the lack of festive business takes a toll. “Given the landslide in Wayanad, we anticipated a drop in Onam sales. However, we did not stock up on traditional items like white veshtis, mundus, lungis, and inner garments that Kerala traders typically purchase in bulk before the festival. Clothes stagnation wasn’t an issue for us as we had scaled down production months in advance,” said K Selvaraj, President of the Erode Gani Weekly Market Association.
Typically, wholesale buyers from across Kerala would flock to the market at least a month before Onam. This year, however, not only has the demand from Kerala diminished, but Tamil Nadu’s internal market is also underperforming, further compounded by the impact of the landslide in Wayanad.
The situation has led to the temporary closure of several manufacturing units in Tirupur. Small-scale manufacturers, particularly those in Kumaramangalam in Namakkal and Ammapet in Salem, who rely heavily on Keralan customers, have been hit the hardest. These manufacturers, who produce clothing year-round specifically for the Onam season, are facing severe financial strain. Traders at Gani Market, who typically earn around Rs. 100 crore during Onam, are now seeing sales slump to just Rs. 10 crore this season, according to Selvaraj.
