Winter weather alters shopping timetable

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 13

In the aftermath of last week’s snowstorm, an intense cold wave has gripped the Kashmir Valley. In view of the climatic condition, some owners have started opening their shops during daytime. It’s a straight departure from the past three months when markets and public transport remained shut during the daytime and people would go to shopping in the morning hours.

For the first time since abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, the shops remained open during the daytime in Srinagar’s commercial nerve centre of Lal Chowk as well as in the peripheral areas along the highway bypass.

The residents, however, expressed doubts if markets would make a return to the normal shopping schedule. “Sometimes it feels that everything will return to normal and then some incidents makes us think otherwise”, said a shopkeeper in central Srinagar’s Batamaloo neighbourhood.

It’s likely to change further as the Valley heads toward a full-blown winter and another spell of snowfall is expected later this week.