Rain Drains Trade
Rameez Makhdoomi
We are going through an era of economic slowdown. The pandemic of Coronavirus has adversely hit hard economy of every region in one way or the other.
In this context, the festivity season becomes great opportunity to revive fortunes. Kashmir valley too is witnessing since some years much slow economic activity and Eid ul Fitr like grand festival offers buisness community to gain profit from their buisness activity and earn valuable financial resources.
Unfortunately enough, during the ongoing Eid Ul Fitr festival the heavy rain continued for several days hit hard the economic fortunes of scores of traders and buisnessmen.
On their part, Traders stated that sales dipped by 50% due to incessant rains before Eid.
Rains drenched valley plains for the third day in a row on Thursday, with traders expressing disappointment over a “50 percent” dip in sales, ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.
It is worth mentioning here that diverse works of progress and development being done through Smart City project in the city for the past several months had also kept Eid shoppers away from prominent markets, especially Polo View, Lal Chowk and the Residency Road. Many customers preferred to visit markets in the Old City for Eid shopping instead of the city centre.
The worst hit were the street vendors of Kashmir who depend on festivals like Eid for their livelihood. Heavy and drenching rains made their street vending almost impossible.
However, the positive aspect was that Bakery related buisness and Butchers , poultry professionals did a sound buisness.
Trade and Buisness experts have often opined that
the overall business post-Covid is down in the different areas of Kashmir Valley markets.
Young girls and women who are often seen in Kashmir buying
utensils, fashion products, clothes, or jewellery but due to the inclement weather, they thought twice about whether to venture out or not.
In related development, On the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr, the Divisional Commissioner (Div Com) Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri extended his greetings to the people of Kashmir.
In his festival message, Div Com Kashmir prayed that this Eid brings peace and prosperity and espouses harmony among citizens.
He said this festival teaches “us to share happiness with poor and needy people by offering charity generously.”
The need of the hour is both the Government and society ponders over the fact that how to compensate for the losses of traders and also street vendors especially in the backdrop of recent heavy rains during current festivity season.
Without a doubt rain has drained trade in Kashmir.
