Noida, Uttar Pradesh
Garment
exporters in Noida and Greater Noida, with 3,000 garment manufacturing units,
have been severely affected by the COVID-19 induced economic crisis. Reportedly,
these units are losing around 20% of business orders to neighbouring countries
of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
The Noida
Apparel Export Cluster (NAEC) has claimed that factories are left with just
40-50% workers after migrant workers left the city. Some apparel manufacturers are
making PPE kits for survival but would not sustain for long without
international orders.
Lalit Thukral,
President, NAEC said that the revival of the western market has increased
demand for readymade garments and other garment manufacturing Asian countries
are not as badly affected like India and hence gaining more orders that are
being diverted from here. He said that India is losing out because the international
buyers are concerned if the garment exporters will be able to deliver and also
expressed concern about losing business right now which will have long term
damage.
The NAEC
President mentioned that they have organised their oxygen bank, distributed
oxygen concentrators and have also arranged isolation wards and oxygen beds at
factories. He added that a facility has also been created for COVID-affected
workers to borrow concentrators. He urged the government to make vaccines
available to workers as an encouragement to get them back to work.
Source – The Times of India
Image Source: Unsplash
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