Saraswati Sethy, a weaver whose looms were ravaged in the flood last month . Telegraph picture

Kendrapara, Oct. 11: Saraswati Sethy’s life has turned upside down. Until a month ago, the 62-year-old woman was a well-to-do weaver at Narasinghapur village, which falls in Marshaghai block here. Today, she has lost all her sources of livelihood.

Last month’s ravaging flood has reduced her looms and house into a heap of rubble. Saraswati and her family had been badly hit by the 2008 floods. Soon after, her husband turned immobile because of ailments related to old age. However, she then proved that she had nerves of steel and slowly picked up the threads of life.

She borrowed Rs 24,000 from a local women’s self-help group to install a couple of looms in the backyard of her home. With the help of her son and daughter, she started earning around Rs 4,500 a month. The self-help group used to buy Saraswati’s hand-woven cotton clothes on a regular basis.

But last month’s flood has ravaged her looms.

“Nature has played a cruel joke on me. The embankment broke down and submerged our village. Floodwater washed my house and looms away. Now, I have no earnings. It is difficult to start everything all over again as I still have a loan of Rs 15,000 pending,” she said.

The flood has dealt a blow to the weaving-based economy of several villages of Marshaghai and Patkura areas. As many as 15 villages, mostly comprising weavers, were badly hit by the flood. The economic backbone of 392 families, who have been eking out a living from weaving, lies completely shattered. With more than a hundred looms falling like a pack of cards, life would never be the same again for weavers of villages such as, Narasinghapur, Korua, Atabuha, Haripur, Kalabuda, Dihasahi, Nadiabarei and Ramachandrapur.

“The demand for hand-woven cotton clothes, towels, handkerchiefs had gone up recently. We used to receive good orders and our business had been picking up. But now, we have lost everything,” said Sudarshan Tarai, a weaver from Kalabuda village.

Weaving had been the primary occupation for nearly 1,544 families of Garadpur, Marshaghai and Derabish blocks. These areas housed 590 active looms. “More than half of the active weavers in flood affected villages have suffered great losses. According to our assessment, the weaving sector has suffered extensive damage. Many have lost everything, starting from looms and accessories to raw materials. Unless they receive compensation in time, majority of them might give up weaving as a profession,” said Nirmal Chandra Dalei, the inspector of textiles, Kendrapara.