From Sculpture to Medicine

The impact of the rains is felt by 25,000 idol makers in Raigad's Pen district, reports Chitrangada Choudhury in The Indian Express.

"While the smaller pieces completely collapsed, the bigger and more magnificent works developed muddy stains at the bottom."The sludge marks are impossible to remove," said (Vijay) Chavan, whose work is sustained by annual bank loans. On the eve of each festive season, he finds himself in a debt worth Rs 8 lakh. This year, "while my casts are damaged, even the 70,000 that I recently spent on paint in Mumbai have got destroyed in the rain. How am I to raise money and carry out the coming year’s work?"’ he asked desperately."

And according to The Hindu Business Line, "medicine supplies are under pressure with stocks worth an estimated Rs 180 crore being destroyed in the heavy rain here earlier this week."