Kashmiri businessmen, artisans grapple with grief, questions after Dilli Haat fire tears down livelihoods

By Ziraat Times Correspondent

New Delhi: Several Kashmiri businessmen and artisans are left grieving and grappling with several questions after a  massive fire erupted at Delhi’s iconic Dilli Haat market on Wednesday night, engulfing over 30 shops and causing significant losses to artisans displaying their products there.

As per reports in national media, the blaze, which began around 8:45 PM, rapidly spread through the market’s rear stage area, where many shops constructed with combustible materials like bamboo and plastic tarpaulins were located. Despite the swift response of 14 fire tenders, the fire was brought under control only after substantial damage had occurred.

Among the worst affected were Kashmiri artisans, with at least seven shops selling traditional fabrics and one papier-mâché craft store completely destroyed. These shops, known for their exquisite Pashmina shawls and handicrafts.

A Pashmina shawl maker, speaking to Ziraat Times, lamented, “I lost pashmina worth ₹60 lakhs. This stock was newly purchased. It took me ₹2 lakh in rent just to get this stall. Now I have nothing left to sell.”

Tragically, much of the handicrafts stock destroyed or damaged at the stores still belonged to various artisans who were yet to receive their payments.

“Usually, the artisans would get paid once their stock is sold at such markets. Now the question is who would own the loss. Not certainly, it would be the poor artisans”, said Mudasir Nazir Bhat, another shawl seller there.

The fire has highlighted significant lapses in safety measures at Dilli Haat. Vendors reported that fire extinguishers were either expired or malfunctioning, and emergency exits were blocked, hindering fire fighting efforts. Many artisans have called for immediate government intervention, seeking compensation and improved safety protocols to prevent such tragedies in the future.

Delhi Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra visited the site and assured affected vendors of support, stating that compensation would be provided and efforts made to reallocate shops to those who lost their livelihoods.

As investigations continue into the cause of the fire, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by traditional artisans and the urgent need for enhanced safety measures in marketplaces that preserve and promote India’s rich cultural heritage, the affected shopkeepers said.