CHARSADDA, Oct 14: Thousands of people attached with the business of famous Charsadda Chappal (shoes) have been facing losses due to increase in prices of quality chrome-tanned leather and other raw material.

This correspondent visited the main shoe markets in Charsadda and interviewed representatives of Chappal Makers Association, including its president Maqsood Jan, general secretary Jehanzeb,Nazir Ahmed,Mohammad Jamil and others who seemed worried about the future of their business.

They said that increase in prices of chrometanned leather (high quality) and other materials used in chappal making was responsible for the prevailing situation.

They said that price of high quality tanned leather had increased from Rs102 to Rs220 per square foot.

They said that industrialists in Punjab had not only made 80 to 100 per cent increase in prices of leather, but its quality was also not up to the mark.

The association`s president said that before the hike in rates of leather and other raw materials the price of one pair chappal was between Rs700 and Rs1,000, which had doubled now.

He said that the quality leather called `high chrome` by local traders was famous for its shine and used by chappal makers in production of the footwear. Charsadda Chappal is famous for its shine and soft leather locally and abroad.Mr Jan regretted that low quality chrome had ruined their businesses. He said that customers were fast switching to use of other footwear due to low quality leather being used in Charsadda Chappal.

He stressed the need for setting up leather tanneries/factories in Khyber Pakhunkhwa to make raw material for shoes available on cheaper rates.

Mr Jehanzeb said that the chappal makers would usually enjoy business boom just before Eid and other festivities, but now they were looking for customers to earn livelihood.

Nazir Ahmed, a shoemaker, sitting idle along with his helpers in his decorated shop in a local market, told Dawn that this time very few customers visited his shop before Eid and this could make it difficult for him to earn livelihood and pay his helpers/workers.

Charsadda Chappal is popular throughout the country and the dealers and sellers of the footwear have set up their businesses in Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Abbottabad etc.

Mohammad Jamil said that all their products were hand-crafted and made especially on order keeping in view the demand of clients.

He said that materials being used in production of the footwear vary from hard leather to soft suede, which is popular among customers.

However, he regretted that the supply of low quality material from industries in Punjab with high prices had inflicted huge losses on them and shattered the customers trust in theproduct.

He said that presently about 800 units of chappal-making were functional in Charsadda and roughly 7,000 workers linked to the industry. According to estimates, about 8,000 shoepairs were made daily in these units, he said.

The traders have demanded of the government to intervene and force the industrialists to decrease the prices of tanned leather and other materials.