KOCHI: Shop owners at Menaka and Broadway suffered losses of Rs 6 crore when rainwater entered the shops on Monday. Around 60 shops, including mobile shops, hotels, handicrafts and textile shops, suffered losses. As per the rough estimate of Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi, each shop suffered a loss of up to Rs 10 lakh.
According to Aslam, who owns a bag shop in Broadway, almost all the items in the shop were damaged after the shop was partially submerged. “We have stored hundreds of branded bags in the shop. The unexpected flood damaged them,” said Aslam.
Meanwhile, the members of Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi said the Kochi corporation’s laid back attitude in carrying out drainage cleaning resulted in the waterlogging. “It is a man-made disaster. If the corporation had carried out the desilting work in the area, the shop owners would not have suffered huge losses. We are going to hold a protest,” said Abdul Kalam, a member of the samithi.