Businesses of restaurants, spas, tattoo shops suffer as Yamuna floods Delhi's Majnu Ka Tila

New Delhi, Sep 4 (PTI) Water from the Yamuna gushed into the narrow alleys of Majnu ka Tila this week, swallowing homes and shops and leaving behind damp wood, broken machines and stagnant drains.

In this riverside Tibetan Colony, where cafes bustle with students, tattoo parlours light up neon signs and home spas run out of rented rooms, the flooding has turned everyday work into a struggle for survival.

The damage has cut through every kind of business, from restaurants whose owners now sleep in their offices, to tattoo parlours with ruined machines, salons and home spas left without working equipment, and garment shops that remain locked as water stagnates outside.

Zungi, who runs a restaurant in the Colony, said his home behind the eatery had been submerged till the terrace. "For the last 15 years, my family has run this place. Every time the Yamuna rises, our house gets flooded.

"This time, everything -- beds, furniture, clothes -- is submerged in floodwater. The restaurant is on a higher floor, so it is safe, but our home and belongings are gone," he told PTI.

Many merchants said they had been forced to shift into nearby hotel rooms after their houses went under. Lobsang Tsering, who has lived in Majnu ka Tila for nearly two decades, said several families were staying in rented rooms in the upper areas, while some owners slept inside their restaurants just to be close to their businesses.

Communication, too, has been disrupted. With mobile networks failing and power supply erratic, some merchants began using walkie-talkies to coordinate with staff. "We keep phones switched off to save battery for emergencies," Zungi said.

Service businesses in the Colony's low-lying alleys have suffered some of the worst losses. At a tattoo parlour, worker Tashi said their entire set-up has been destroyed. "Our machines, which are drilled to the ground, went under the water once the area got flooded. These machines cost lakhs, and without them the parlour cannot function." Another tattoo shop owner, David, said most of his inks and equipment have been ruined. "We shifted to a hotel for two nights. The lanes here are so narrow that the water does not drain quickly. It just stagnates, and mosquitoes and infections happen due to that," he said.

Merchants said poor road infrastructure and weak drainage had worsened the crisis this year. "The government is doing its best, but the roads here are too narrow and water does not seep out quickly. Snakes and mosquitoes have made matters worse. We just hope things return to normal soon," Zungi said.

Workers at home spas reported major setbacks. "Massage beds, dryers, steam machines -- all are damaged. Clients have cancelled bookings and we do not know how long it will take to restart," said Nyima, 26, who ran a spa in her home's basement.

Hotels have become temporary shelters, with families and workers sharing single rooms. "Five or six workers are living together in our hotel. Some owners lowered the prices so that at least people could afford to stay," said Sandeep, a hotel employee near the monastery.

The flooding has upended the routine for shop workers as well. Anisha, employed at a gift shop, said she saw children being paid to swim through the water to evacuate goods from basements. "It is dangerous, but shopkeepers are desperate to save their stock..." she said.

Residents pointed out that the damage has become a yearly affair. Tsering, who runs a small eatery, said the water had receded slightly but the cost of repair would be steep. "Now we have to repaint walls, replace furniture and fix machines. It has been like this year after year," he said.

Public health concerns have also grown. Vanya, a mother of two, said the stagnant water had led to mosquito swarms and even snakes entering through back doors. "Children are falling sick, and we are constantly trying to keep them safe," she said.

Locals also spoke about the plight of stray animals. "The street dogs here are already weak, and now they are stranded on rooftops with no food. They bark all night. It's heartbreaking," said Rajesh, a hotel staffer.

For many, staying back despite the flooding is a matter of survival. "People with families went to shelters, but most of us stayed back. We cannot leave because our shops and restaurants are here. If we go, we lose both our homes and our work," said a worker whose house was submerged this week. PTI SGV SGV KSS KSS