By Sushmita Dey
A family at Kanker Khera in Meerut, which has been upcycling old clothes into warm blankets over the past 20 years, is facing a shutdown.
Earlier this month, an enforcement team of Kanker Khera Nagar Nigam, in the presence of the local police force, ordered the shutdown of roadside shops and the family has been given the notice to vacate. They said the area is marked for auto rickshaw and bus stands.
According to the owner, Suresh Kumar, this is the third time they have been forced to vacate the shop. Many weavers in his shop are looking for other jobs to earn a livelihood. Women skilled in weaving who had come from villages are now doing daily labour to run their families.
Customers visit their small kiosks and place orders. Besides, buyers from nearby villages and Army people place orders during October just before winter sets in.
“Our blankets are very warm because we weave them by hand, and they can be used for more than 10 years,” said Kumar.
He brings raw cotton of upcycled clothes in densely packed bales from the New Mandi, Meerut City, and cleans them in a machine before stuffing them into blankets. A blanket costs Rs. 700 to Rs. 900, depending on the quality of the material used.
He said, “This year is a hard time for all of us. October to February is a busy season when we used to sell more than 200 blankets. This time we are getting orders only from local people.”
“We only need space to sit and operate our business. We do not want anything else from the government, just a place to set up our shop permanently. Otherwise, how will we feed and raise our children,” said Madhu, one of the weavers working in the shop.
Moreover, in the wake of the pandemic, the demand for blankets has come down. They are also doing other work due to the low profitability of the business.
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