Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 16: Ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr that is being celebrated this weekend, the markets in Srinagar are almost deserted compared to previous years with traders citing September 2014 floods as the reason for the slump.
The shopkeepers in commercial hub of the city, Lal Chowk, said that the floods had huge bearing on economy of the Kashmir, especially Srinagar, and that is why they are not coming in huge numbers for Eid shopping.
“As compared to last year’s Eid-ul-Fitr, the markets are down and that is because of financial crunch as a result of floods and the destruction it brought to Kashmir,” said Bashir Ahmad Kongposh, the general secretary of Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers’ Association.
He said: “The people are not turning up to garment shops or crockery shops in huge numbers. They are only buying eatables which is a compulsion.”
People throughout the day were seen thronging vegetable, bakery, mutton and chicken shops, which has been norm and witnessed even in worst of the times.
A shopkeeper, who sells ladies garments in Lal Chowk, echoed Kongposh’s remarks and said: “The work, indeed, has been hit by the floods. We used to be extremely busy this time with customers but there is difference this year.”
In the past, the city roads, mainly Lal Chowk, used to be choked because of heavy rush of people but the scene was quite different this year. It was like a normal day with people staying away from markets.
The trade community blamed Government “apathy” towards flood victims for slump markets. “The Government didn’t rehabilitate people including shopkeepers as well,” the traders’ body general secretary, Kongposh, said, adding: “the situation is not good.”
The bad weather and repeated flood threats are also marring the business. Many shopkeepers said that they were reluctant to buy goods fearing floods.
“A one day rain brings us on the brink of flood. Few days ago, we were planning to shift goods to safer places because of flood threat. This is the situation here and in this situation how can our business boom ahead of Eid,” said shopkeeper Sameer.
The street vendors who sell ready-made garments are also experiencing minimum sales and they too blame floods for the same.
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