Surat diamond polishing units to remain shut till July 14

Surat: The diamond cutting and polishing units in Surat will remain shut till July 14, while diamond trading markets will be non-operational till July 10, following the rise in Covid-19 cases among workers and merchants. A notification in this regard was issued by the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Monday.
In a notification issued by SMC commissioner, Banchhanidhi Pani stated that the Covid-19 cases from the diamond industry are on the rise and to contain the spread of the infection the diamond polishing and cutting units will be shut till July 14.The order further states that three diamond markets including Mahidhapura, Varachha and Nandu Doshi Ni Wadi will remain closed for business till July 10.
Pani said, “After July 14, the SMC will review the situation in the (diamond) industry on the standard operating procedure (SOP) guidelines and take further decision.”
So far since June 1, over 850 diamond workers and merchants have been tested positive for Covid-19, majority of them from Katargam area.
The diamond industry has been shut since June 30 after SMC issued a notification for the closure of the diamond units in Katargam for a week starting from July 1. The biggest diamond market in Mahidhapura was also placed under cluster containment for a week. About 80% of the diamonds manufactured in Surat are traded with Mumbai from the Mahidhapura diamond market.
Industry sources said that out of the total 4,500 diamond polishing units, only 2,500 were able to restart operation after May 25 with less than 40% capacity. Majority of the workers who had returned to their home towns in Saurashtra are yet to return.
President of Surat Diamond Association (SDA), Babu Kathiriya told TOI, “The industry will follow the orders of the administration and keep the units shut till July 14 and diamond markets till July 10”
Kathiriya added, “Some of the big diamond units in Katargam employing more than 2,000 workers had voluntarily shut their units for a week since June 20 to contain the spread of the infection. After that SMC issued closure notification from July 1 to July 7. Now, the notification has been revised till July 14.”
Official sources at the Mumbai-based Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB) stated that for the entire month of June, less than Rs 200 crore worth of rough diamonds was imported into the country as the diamantaires voluntarily stayed away from purchasing rough diamond due to weak market conditions.