The furnaces have gone cold in Morbi. Gujarat’s ceramic capital, the world’s second-largest hub for tile production, is staring at a weeks-long shutdown, its factories silenced not by a local crisis but by a war thousands of kilometres away.
The West Asia conflict has choked the supply of gas that powers Morbi’s furnaces. With US and Israeli forces engaged in war against Iran, the Strait of Hormuz — a critical passage for vessels — stands closed, severing a vital energy lifeline to the industry.
The fallout has been swift. Of Morbi’s 670 ceramic factories, nearly 450 have already stopped operations. Propane-dependent units went first, halting as stocks ran dry. Natural gas units followed soon after.
Now, around 430 of those units have made it official. At a special meeting convened on Tuesday, factory owners came together and collectively decided to stay shut until April 10-15, a downtime of 20 to 25 days.
A senior official associated with the Morbi Ceramic Manufacturing Association has said that the owners used the meeting to consult on the gas crisis and related concerns before arriving at a joint decision.
The industry depends heavily on propane and natural gas, not just to fire its kilns, but also for drying processes central to ceramic manufacturing. Without a steady gas supply, production simply cannot resume.
The official said the units would use the enforced break for machine maintenance, and would restart operations together but only once fresh gas supplies become available.
That, in turn, hinges entirely on one thing: the resolution of the conflict between Iran, the US, and Israel, and the restoration of regular gas flow.
Also Read: Middle East War Triggers Gas Shortage Fears For Morbi’s Ceramic Tile Industry https://www.vibesofindia.com/middle-east-war-triggers-gas-shortage-fears-for-morbis-ceramic-tile-industry/
