Muhammad Luqman

The tent industry is witnessing strong demand following the unprecedented floods in Punjab, triggered by the recent monsoon rains, reports Wealth Pakistan.

Water levels in the Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej rivers surged in the wake of record rainfall, claiming lives and livestock, damaging billions of rupees worth of infrastructure, and leaving thousands of people marooned. The increased demand for tents and related accessories has boosted the tent business clusters, particularly in Lahore’s Landa Bazaar, which houses around 30 wholesale shops selling canvas and cloth tents.

“Our business has been buoyant during the current flood season, with individuals and organizations placing orders,” Muhammad Sufyan, owner of Ahmad Tent House in Landa Bazaar, told Wealth Pakistan. The tents range in size from 5x6 feet to 12x15 feet, accommodating families of five to 12 members. This year, the prices range from Rs6,000 to Rs12,000 per tent, slightly higher than during the 2022 floods, he said.

However, Sufyan noted that overall, the sales were still lower than in the 2022 floods. The demand for mosquito nets has also increased due to a rise in malaria cases, as flood-hit areas provided favorable conditions for mosquito breeding.“This time, Pakistan has not made any international appeal for aid for flood victims. As a result, purchases by foreign NGOs for Pakistan’s flood victims have been negligible,” he said.

According to the Pakistan Canvas and Tent Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PCTMEA), flood relief activities have boosted the country’s tent industry.“The relief effort is not as extensive as it was in 2022,” said Ijaz Hussain, Secretary General of the Association. He noted that around 70 tent manufacturing units across Pakistan, mostly in Punjab, are currently working day and night to meet the demand.

“These factories have the capacity to produce half a million relief tents per month,” Hussain said. He regretted that the government had not provided any subsidies or tax relief to the industry, despite its crucial role in responding during times of calamity.

The flood waters have inundated thousands of acres of land around Lahore, damaging human settlements. Thousands of affected people are still living in tent cities set up by the governmental and non-governmental organizations in Chung and Mohlanwal localities. A similar situation exists in the other parts of Punjab.

According to the latest figures released by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), 131 fatalities have been reported across Punjab, while 2.6 million people have been evacuated to safer areas. “We have set up 17 tent villages in some flood-affected areas of the province. Each village comprises about 200 tents,” said Shoaib Ahmad Hashmi, spokesperson for the Al-Khidmat Foundation, while talking to Wealth Pakistan.

He said if flooding continues in southern Punjab and upper Sindh’s Katcha areas, the NGO plans to establish more tent cities in the affected areas. “Besides providing shelter, we have also made ample arrangements for food,” Hashmi said. In addition to NGOs, the National Disaster Management Authority has dispatched 36,000 tents across the affected districts of the Punjab province so far.

Credit: INP-WealthPk