Power cuts ruin powerloom weavers' livelihood

Sullurpet (Nellore): Many handloom weavers and traders have shifted to powerlooms dreaming that it would end their hardships. Powerloom units produce cost affective cloth materials and were also time efficient. But due to unscheduled power cuts in the State, nearly 200 weavers and trader families in Mannarupoluru have lost their livelihood. Mannarupoluru is one of the famous places in the district known for its handloom products. Other places include Venkatagiri, Bangarupeta, Kovur and Narayanareddypet. More than 50 per cent of the people in Mannarupoluru depend on over 60 poweloom units. Presently, more than 80 per cent of those powerloom units are shut down due to the power cuts. As their businesses got ruined, many powerloom units were turned into residences. Having no other option, the weavers started opting for various other occupations like labourers and workers in small scale industries and businesses.