IIJS Re-opens after Sunday's Havoc, Further Heavy Rain Forecast

India's International Jewellery Show (IIJS) re-opened on Monday following its early closure on Sunday due to heavy rains that waterlogged the site and created a hazard due to exposed power lines.

The show will stay open an extra two hours today, until 8 pm Mumbai time, although many exhibitors had hoped the show's organizers would extend the show until Tuesday to make up for closing it early on Sunday when it was ended at 2:30 pm.

Reports from the show say that traffic is heavy with exhibitors pleased with the number of local visitors but unhappy with the low number of foreign visitors.

Work crews toiled through the night, removing water soaked carpets and repairing the clogged pipeline system that was supposed to drain rainwater.

Organizers are hoping the repairs will enable the show to stay open today, although with heavy rain forecast, it's possible the show could again close early.

The IIJS is one of the most important jewelry shows in the Indian calendar and opened on a promising note on Thursday with heavy traffic from noon onwards. But conditions were difficult for exhibitors and visitors alike since the air conditioning did not work during the first two days of the show and organizers only managed to bring in large fans on Saturday.

Nonetheless, after a relatively busy Friday and Saturday, exhibitors were looking forward to Sunday being the busiest day of the show – until the electricity supply was switched off for safety reasons since exposed power lines lining the exhibit halls started getting wet.