SRINAGAR : Flood water may have receded from Lal Chowk and its surrounding areas but it will be a long drawn process before business activities in the Kashmir’s commercial hub return to normal.
The flood has left behind a trail of destruction as muddied branded clothes, electronic goods, watches, and handicrafts are lying unclaimed on the roads of the Kashmir’s commercial hub.
These goods have been probably damaged beyond repair due to the century’s worst-ever flood in Kashmir.
Nisar Ahmad Wani, who owns a shop in the upmarket Lambert Lane on Residency Road here, and several other shopkeepers nearby are busy clearing the mess created by the floods, including the expensive merchandise now worth a zilch, so that they can make a fresh start.
“We are thankful to the God for sparing our lives. Business-wise, all the goods have turned into trash and worth nothing now,” Wani said.
In fact, the businessmen are keen to hasten the cleaning operations as rotting merchandise can become a liability if left inside the shops.
“We thought the government will give priority in removing the garbage from Lal Chowk and surrounding areas as this is the nerve centre of business activities, but I think we have to do it on our own as now foul smell is coming from inside the shops,” Mudasir Ahmad, another shopkeeper, said.
The business community claim that the losses due to the
floods in Lal Chowk, Regal Chowk, Residency Road, Maisuma, Court Road and Koker Bazaar area alone will run into several thousand crores.
“Every outlet has suffered losses and there are hundreds of shops in these areas. You can imagine the extent of damage,” Shakeel Ahmad, a businessman, said.
Most of the businessmen were caught on the wrong foot when water entered Lal Chowk on September 7, as the Jhelum river breached the banks at several places.
Firstly, it was a Sunday when most of the shops are closed as per the local municipal laws.
Second, and more important of the factors, was the belief of the trading community that government will not allow the commercial hub to get marooned.
“The traditional practice during such situations was cut the banks of Jhelum at Kandizaal that would prevent water entering the city.
“For unexplained reasons, it was not done this time,” Aijaz Ahmad Dar, who runs photo printing lab and sells cameras, said.
All the stocks of Dar in his showroom have been muddied by the flood and it will be at least a week before he can start operating his printing lab again.
“We will start operations again, we have been through ups and downs before but this time it will be a long time before we come back to normal (business) activity,” Dar added. (AGENCIES)
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