No LPG, No Work: West Asia War Hits Firozabad’s Glass Industry

As soon as the US-Israel war on Iran began, commercial LPG cylinders went missing from Firozabad, even from the black market. The supply of regasified LNG was cut by 20 per cent. The traditional craftsmen and flame workers, who depend on LPG cylinders, and the large-scale industries, that depend on uninterrupted LNG supply to keep their furnaces burning 24X7, are feeling the pinch. While most industries are forced to halve production and send labourers on forced leave, the flame workers are out of work. The unorganised sector in Firozabad accounts for 70 per cent of the total glass produced in India, as well as the manufacturing of 1,500 tonnes of glass bangles per day, providing direct and indirect employment to an estimated five-seven lakh people, supporting the lives of over 50,000 families. The large-scale industries export goods worth Rs 2,000 crore to different countries. A large chunk goes to the US. The craftsmen and industry players are waiting for the situation to go back to normal.

Reporter: Swati Subhedar
Camera: Tribhuvan Tiwari
Editor: Sudhanshu

#Firozabad #GlassIndustry #WestAsia