Incessant rainfall over the past three days and subsequent flood alarm in Kashmir have dampened the festive spirit of shoppers ahead of Eid ul-Fitr, which is expected to be celebrated on Friday or Saturday depending on the sighting of the crescent moon.
Eid ul-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide as it marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramazan. Traditionally observed on the first day of the Islamic month of ‘Shawwal,’ which is the tenth month of the year, it is determined by the sighting of the moon.
On this joyous occasion, families and friends come together to celebrate and indulge in delicious delicacies.
However, this time heavy rainfall has severely affected the footfall of shoppers in major markets of Srinagar and other districts. The constant downpour has caused people to stay indoors, resulting in a lack of customers during the Eid festivities, which usually attract a large crowd.
It has not only disappointed shoppers, but business owners as well, who are concerned about their sales dipping due to the heavy downpour. “For the last three days, heavy downpour has forced people not to venture out much. It has directly resulted in a dip in our sales,” said Abid Ahmad, a bakery owner.
“Usually, we would be busy attending to hordes of customers, but this year it has been slow. We hope the weather improves and Eid falls on Saturday instead of Friday so that people can venture out for shopping,” he added.
The heavy rainfall has not only affected the Eid celebrations but also caused inconvenience to the public due to water-logging and traffic jams in many areas. The locals urged the government to take immediate measures to dewater the inundated areas.
The local MeT office has predicted a decrease in precipitation from Thursday, but intermittent rainfall is likely to continue till April 22. The rains also resulted in a dip in temperatures across Kashmir forcing people to wear woolens once again.