Surat: With the summer vacation season ongoing, around 10% of diamond factories in Surat have declared a holiday of over 15 days, with major units involved in polishing rough diamonds planning to remain shut until June 6.

The Diamond Job Workers Association has also announced a vacation of 10 to 15 days. Notably, this association used to declare holidays only during Diwali. However, due to the ongoing slowdown in the industry over the last two years, summer vacations are now also being observed. Previously, units that remained open during this period compensated workers through increments and overtime. But in light of the persistent downturn, many factories are now opting for temporary closures.

Surat is home to nearly 4,000 diamond units, providing employment to over 7 lakh artisans, many of whom hail from the Saurashtra region. With the onset of the vacation, a large number of workers have left the city for their hometowns, resulting in heavy crowds at Surat’s railway and bus stations, especially towards North Gujarat and Saurashtra. DeshGujarat