Bus stand relocation pushes Batamaloo market into prolonged slump

Srinagar, Dec 17: Once a bustling commercial centre of Srinagar, Batamaloo market wears a deserted look with mostly closed shops, thinning customer footfall, and growing distress among traders— a situation they largely attribute to the shifting of the inter-district bus stand to Parimpora in 2017.

The decision, taken by the then government to ease traffic congestion in the Batamaloo area, has failed to deliver its intended outcome, traders allege. Instead of easing congestion or spurring alternative development, they say the move crippled the local economy that depended heavily on passenger movement and wholesale trade.

Speaking to Greater Kashmir, President of the Batamaloo Traders Association, Peer Imtiyaz Ahmad, said traders had initially accepted the decision, believing it would further strengthen Batamaloo’s position as a central commercial hub.

“At that time we opposed the shifting of the bus stand. People from every district used to come here for shopping and would board buses from the Batamaloo bus stand itself,” he said.

He said the relocation instead stripped the area of its core economic advantage. “The moment the bus stand was shifted to Parimpora, the entire customer base disappeared. Batamaloo lost its centrality and accessibility, which was the backbone of this market,” Ahmad said.

According to the Traders Association, the Batamaloo bus stand occupied nearly 112 kanals of land and supported around 1,200 shops. “Today, nearly 600 shops have been forced to close, leaving hundreds of families without a steady source of income,” Ahmad said.

Traders said they were promised alternative infrastructure to revive economic activity in the area. “We were assured that a mini secretariat would be constructed on the vacated land. The project never went beyond the plinth level, and several crores of rupees were wasted,” the association president alleged.

Other shopkeepers echoed similar concerns. Bashir Ahmad, a textile trader with over three decades in the market, said business declined sharply after 2017. “Earlier, customers from Budgam, Pulwama, Shopian, and other districts visited Batamaloo daily. After the bus stand was shifted, that footfall vanished almost overnight. My sales have dropped by more than 50 percent,” he said.

Riyaz Ahmad, a wholesale grocery dealer, said the shift has significantly increased operating costs. “Parimpora has now become the main wholesale hub. Transporting goods from there has increased freight charges by approximately 70 percent, which small traders cannot afford,” he said.

Several traders said they are surviving on credit and old customers. “Earlier, we had regular cash flow. Now we manage only because of long-standing clients,” said Ghulam Nabi, who runs a hardware store. “Young traders are either shutting down or moving elsewhere.”

Shopkeepers also criticised the lack of planning in dealing with street vendors and hawkers. “Hawkers were shifted partially, then allowed back on one side. There is no consistent policy, and the confusion has hurt both vendors and shopkeepers,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, a footwear trader.

Traders further pointed out that traffic congestion at Batamaloo has not eased despite the relocation of the bus stand. “If congestion was the reason for shifting the bus stand, then the objective has clearly not been achieved,” Ahmad said.

The Batamaloo Traders Association has demanded a comprehensive revival plan, including the development of a structured souq-style market, relocation of divisional or district offices, or utilisation of the vacant land for commercial infrastructure to restore footfall.

“We are not opposing development or traffic management,” Ahmad said. “But policies should not destroy livelihoods. Batamaloo needs urgent intervention before this historic market declines further.”

Despite repeated representations to the authorities, traders say their concerns remain unaddressed, warning that without timely administrative action, Batamaloo risks losing its identity as one of Srinagar’s key trading hubs.