Rotten Meat Scandal Triggers Restaurant Slump in Kashmir

SRINAGAR: Restaurants and cafes in Kashmir are facing one of their worst business slumps in years after authorities seized large quantities of rotten and unfit meat in Srinagar.

Footfall has dropped drastically, leaving many eateries empty and workers fearing unemployment. The crisis began on July 31 when officials recovered 1,200 kg of rotten meat from a storage unit of Sunshine Foods on Srinagar’s outskirts.

Police also seized about 60 quintals of unlabelled, unfit packaged meat during follow-up raids. The discovery has shaken public confidence, with many avoiding outside food altogether.

Restaurant managers say the impact is devastating. “We are now receiving barely 60 customers a day, compared to our earlier 600,” Bashir Ahmad, who runs a restaurant in Srinagar, said.

“This feels like the COVID lockdown all over again. If it continues, many of us will lose our jobs.”

Customers too admit they are wary.

“After hearing about rotten meat, I stopped eating out with friends,” said Mudaisr Ahmad, a local teenager.

Officials said that the rotten meat was preserved with formaldehyde, a chemical usually used in mortuaries, making the scandal even more alarming. (KINS)