Overnight rain turned Beerwah’s market into a disaster zone, but the real damage reached far beyond collapsed shutters and waterlogged shelves. 

A single night erased years of savings, investment and hard work for families whose future depended on small businesses.

Rain does not distinguish between old businesses and new ones, but its impact rarely falls evenly. 

Larger businesses often have insurance, financial reserves or easier access to credit. Small traders usually have none of those options. 

Their shop serves as their income, savings plan and retirement fund all at once.

Owners rushed to save whatever they could as water rose through the market. They lifted cartons onto higher shelves, moved equipment, formed lines with neighbours and worked until the flood outran their efforts. 

By morning, many stood before damaged shops with little left to salvage.

Losses like these never stop at property. A neighbourhood market supports an entire local economy. Shop income pays school........

© Kashmir Observer