No dip in temperature hits leather industry

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 9

The Jalandhar leather industry, which is already running below capacity, has been further hit as winter temperature has not fallen and demand in the local market has further dipped.

The tannery owners have said that while the demand in the international market had already been hit owing to the general slump, the local market which was the only hope too was not picking much stuff further adding to their woes.

SPS Virk, who owns a tannery unit, said, “The demand for leather stuff increases in local market only when there is harsh winter. This time people have so far not felt the need to buy leather wear. Our stocks for the local market have not found any customers. It’s a double blow for us.”

Amandeep Sandhu, another leather industrialist said, “Half of our drums had already been sealed by the Punjab Pollution Control Board. We have been under constant monitoring of the Punjab and Haryana High Court through the local administration and PPCB officials. This news has been going around and affecting our business a lot. Exports are already down. We had been pinning hope on the domestic market. But there has been a nil demand as temperatures have not gone down.”