Surat textile markets flooded; traders face crores in losses
Heavy rainfall on Tuesday has inundated several textile market areas in Surat, Gujarat, leaving hundreds of traders facing significant financial losses. Water levels reached several feet in many basements, submerging shops and godowns filled with fabrics.
According to Hansraj Jain, president of the Federation of Surat Textile Traders Association (FOSTTA), the full extent of the damage can only be assessed once floodwaters are fully drained. “Only then will we get the details of how many shops were inundated. Once we have that data, we will urge the government to compensate us,” he said.
FOSTTA secretary Dinesh Katariya estimated that thousands of shops across different markets have been flooded, causing losses worth hundreds of crores of rupees. Surat is a major manufacturing hub for synthetic sarees and embellished dress materials, with finished products distributed across the country.
Traders noted that selling the damaged fabrics without reprocessing would be more cost-effective. The city's textile industry, a key economic driver, now awaits government assessment and potential relief measures.
