Chennai/Karur: The severe water problem prevailing in the state has hit the paper production which has resulted in price hike of school notebooks from 15% to 20% this year.
The Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited (TNPL) had shut down one of its paper machines at its Karur plant due to the water problem. The state government has also instructed the another big paper manufacturer Seshasayee Paper and Boards Limited to restrict the water usage.
“The reduction of paper production in two major paper mills has affected the market. Owing to the short supply of paper, the price has increased
from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 per tonne this year,” said Mujibur Rahuman of Asian Books and Stationers, NSC Bose Road in Chennai.
“Once the schools are reopened, the demand for the notebooks will be more. We are not sure whether we can meet the demand with the current paper supply,” he said.
Akbar, director of Star Premier Paper Mart at Anderson street in Flower Bazaar said, “The paper is not available due to the reduction of paper production. The production has reduced about 500 tonnes. So, the notebooks price is hiked up
to 15%.”
He further said, “If we don’t have rains we may have the shortage of notebooks during the reopening of schools.” Another wholesale dealer at the Anderson street who spoke on the condition of anonymity said, “There is nothing alarming about the situation. The situation will improve after the paper production starts at full scale.”
The major players in notebook market Classmate, Jayant, Student are yet to come out with the new prices.
“Classmate company is selling the notebooks at the old MRP rates only. We are yet to get the new arrivals from the major companies. Once we get those books we will know about their price hike,” a shop owner in Flower Bazaar said.
The Tamil Nadu Text Book and Educational Services Corporation is printing and distributing free notebooks to 77 lakh students studying in government schools from classes 1 to 10.
When asked whether the shortage of paper has hit the printing of notebooks and textbooks in the state, the officials from the textbook corporation said, “There is no problem as far as papers are concerned. The books and notebooks are being printed as usual.”
Second unit of TNPL likely to be shut down
With the Cauvery delta region reeling under severe drought and the Cauvery running dry, people and livestock are affected, as also the operation of Asia’s biggest state-owned Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Paper Ltd (TNPL) at Kagithapuram near Karur.
This will be forced to close down its second unit also in a day or two, official sources told DC. Since the paper industry needs a large quantity of water, TNPL authorities sank a giant well in the Cauvery in Kattipalayam village and pumped water to the factory. With the Cauvery running dry, TNPL’s production was affected, sources added.
Of the 3 units, operation in one was stopped from April 3 and production in the other two is also severely affected, sources added. TNPL authorities are recycling water from water storage tank and this will cater to the factory’s requirement only for the next few weeks. If the same situation continues, they will have no alternative but to shut down the operation of all units by the end of the month, sources added.
