MINGORA: The silk industry of Swat district may see its revival soon as most of the mills owners have converted their power looms to the water jet technology.

One of the few skilled labourers of water jet looms, Khan Mohammad said that he had been associated with the silk industry from the last 25 years.

He said that after the fall of industry in Swat he shifted to Karachi about 15 years ago.

“I learnt operating water jet looms in Karachi,” Mr Khan said and added that when this technology was introduced in Swat he returned for seeking job here. He hoped that a time would come when the silk industry of Swat would again flourish.

“The owners are giving us less wages than Karachi, but we are hopeful that when the new technology would start yielding profits the owners will increase our wages,” Mr Khan added.

Owners of silk mills said that water jet looms, based on new technology, produced comparatively more cloth in a short time than power looms. Due to this fact the water jet looms are replacing power looms in Swat, where 50 of the total 66 functioning mills had converted to water jet looms.

Akbar Ali, secretary information of Swat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Dawn that it was a good sign for the silk industry that most of the mills’ owners had converted their power looms to water jet technology here.

He said that that the few remaining mills would also opt for the new technology for getting speedy production.

“I have set up 10 water jet looms and their production is equal to that of 100 power looms,” Mr Ali said and added that a less number of skilled labourers were needed to operate the new looms.

He said that they were producing simple flat yarn quality of cloth. He said that in case of smooth power supply they could produce 0.15 million metres of cloth on 10 water jet looms in a month.

Fazal Wadood Khan, supplier of silk yarn, said that the cost of a water jet loom along with its installation charges was roughly about Rs0.8 million.

He said that now the demand for simple flat yarn had also increased in the market. He also hoped that Swat silk industry would soon regain its past glory.