The water resources department has constructed check dams across the Palar river near Gudiyatham town in Vellore as part of water conservation efforts in the region. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
The long delay in starting work on the proposed textile park in Gudiyatham Assembly constituency, a reserved seat for Scheduled Caste (SC), has irked voters, mostly handloom weavers, as the proposed project would help revive the handloom sector in the riverside town.
Dotted with clusters of handlooms, Gudiyatham is the center of a traditional weaving community, just like every other household in the crowded town and surrounding farming villages has had handlooms for many decades. “The handloom industry in the region has become a problematic unit, mainly due to the rise in raw material prices and labor costs and lack of space for global exports,” said S. Mahalingam, a weaver.
Published – 31 March 2026 05:30 IST
