Chandigarh, June 15 -- Two of the city's oldest seasonal trades - khas cooling pads and earthen pots, which enjoyed brisk business until a few years ago, have been battling to stay afloat. Years of falling sales have pushed these once-thriving trades toward extinction, with vendors blaming city dwellers' changing preferences, especially with regard to air conditioners (ACs).

In a Sector 22 lane, in fact, the last outpost of a dying trade, 18 vendors sell straw, chick and cane products, from cooling pads to drapes. Daulat Singh, a Panjab University graduate who has worked in the trade for 45 years, said sales marginally climb from March through June and demand is likely to hold until the end of June.

Lokesh Negi said sales have dropped s...