Flood threat forces marriage cancellations

With incessant rains beating down for last two days in Kashmir posing flood threat, scores of marriage functions have been cancelled which were scheduled to be held this week.
Greater Kashmir received scores of calls from people from various parts of the Valley informing the cancellation or postponement of the marriage functions which were fixed in the coming few days.
The heavy downpour for last two days has inundated many parts of Kashmir. Scores of villages and many areas in the Srinagar city including some residential colonies have been left submerged. The weatherman has forecasted rains to continue till Friday evening.
Abdul Rashid of Bemina who had visited Greater Kashmir office for publication of a notice informing cancellation of his son’s marriage said: “Our locality has been submerged. We have fled from our house. We have no option than to postpone the marriage,” he said.
Since Thursday morning Greater Kashmir office received scores of notices about marriage or function cancellations. The notices inform the invitees that their invitations stand cancelled. “The marriage ceremony of my daughter was scheduled for September 5 and 6. I have cancelled the invitations due to the inclement weather conditions,” said a parent.
A family from Khanyar which has postponed the marriage function said: “Even though our locality does not face any problem of water logging but we have cancelled the marriage function as many of our relatives or friends could not have come to the function because of submergence of their areas,” they said.
“In the past in inclement weather, people would host the guests at their houses or at neighbour’s houses or in Shyamyanas. But as the newly developed residential colonies remain submerged in waters, it’s a different situation now,” said a family which postponed the function.
President Anjuman-e-Behbood-e-Ashpazan (organization of Kashmiri chefs), Ghulam Nabi Baba, said that almost all the marriage functions which were to be held this week have been cancelled due to bad weather and flood threat. “Even today all the functions were cancelled and we were informed by our clients/parties that they have postponed or cancelled their marriage functions which were fixed to be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Baba said.
Many chefs and butchers who talked to Greater Kashmir said that had incurred huge losses due to the cancellation of the functions.
According to market observers, various segments in the wedding industry have suffered losses worth tens of lakhs of rupees due to cancellation of marriage functions. 
“We have suffered huge losses worth lakhs of rupees due to rains, as scores of bookings were cancelled,” said Naseer Ahmad, a camping agency owner.