Madhya Pradesh poha factories hit by water crisis

Madhya Pradesh is facing its worst-ever water crisis, which has hit water-based industries, particularly poha (rice-flakes) and rice de-husking millers of Ujjain town.

Made from flattened rice, poha is easy to cook, nutritious, and is consumed all over India, for breakfast or brunch, or as a snack.

As many as 10 units have closed down during the last one month due to the water crisis and more are likely to shut down as summer is nearing.

The state Assembly recently witnessed an uproar on water crisis, but the state government does not have options to restore water supply to industrial areas as all water sources, including river Kshipra are dry.

 

“Domestic and industrial water supply in Ujjain has been discontinued for the past one month. We are surviving on ground water supplied mainly by private water tanks” Jitendra Rathi, Ujjain Poha Parmal Processors Association told Business Standard.

“Our input cost has gone up by Rs 20 per quintal. As a result, it is very difficult to survive at a time when sluggish market conditions have already started haunting us and have adversely affected our business by 30 per cent during the past six months,” Rathi added.

“Of the total 45 mills 10-12 have been closed and things do not bode well, more are likely to close soon,” Rathi told Business Standard.

Industrialists are apprehensive of closure of more units in the coming three summer months when even ground water sources will deplete.

“Ujjain does not have water-based mills. Municipal Corporation has discontinued water supply to entire town,” said S N Menia, managing director, Audyogik Kendra Vikas Nigam Ujjain.

“All industries including pharma, paper, tanning and rice flake industries are facing extinction in Ujjain. We have to earmark additional fund of Rs 350-450 per day to get supply from private water sources to arrange domestic consumption for labourers as city has not received adequate water supply from local Municipal corporation for the last one month or so,” pointed out Anand Bangur, vice-chairman of the Federation of Madhya Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

He said, the units in Ujjain were unlikely to survive.

The poha and rice mills are also facing pressure due to high power tariff.

In addition, migration of labour was pushing some profit making units into the red.

According to a conservative estimate, Ujjain has 45 poha mills with a combined processing capacity of 150 metric tons per day.

Ujjain poha is popular all over India and is also exported to Gulf and African countries. “The migration of labour to neighbouring states due to water shortage has deepened the problem,” said Anand Agrawal, another poha miller in the town.