Precious commodity: Cattle traders forced to pay extra for water

Officials claim 150 tankers of 2,000 gallons each are providing free water to traders every day.

KARACHI:

The cattle market authorities claim that they are providing free and ample water to the traders every single day. On the ground, however, the rhetoric is proving to be another one of those farcical claims.

In the dusty market stretching for miles along the Super Highway, currently home to around 100,000 sacrificial animals, donkey carts laden with blue and white cans move around, charging the traders for the precious commodity.

One such trader, Saeed Amir, who hailed from Bahawalpur, complained that the promised free-of-charge water was nowhere in sight. "For the first two days, we were provided free water. But then it stopped." All of his 90 animals are dependent on water from the small cans.

Officials say that they have allowed water to be sold at Rs0.9 per litre in the markets. Each can is supposed to cost Rs30 but Amir says water cans cost anywhere between Rs35 to Rs45.

A few blocks away, Hikmat Khan, who paid Rs120,000 as rent for his stall, lamented that the market administration was charging exorbitant rates without providing facilities. "When they take so much rent and impose taxes on animals, why don't they provide any services?" he questioned angrily.

The market was strewn with straw bundles and the nauseating smelt of cow dung permeated the air. Khan's well-groomed, sturdy animals all had small water buckets placed next to them.

Another trader, Ismail, said that some of his animals drink up to four cans every day. He has 35 in total. "Every day, I spend up to Rs200 per animal so that they do not get dehydrated or die of thirst. Where is the free water?" He says that traders are also paying for the water tankers which were supposed to be free, but each is costing between Rs3,000 to Rs5,000.

The lucky few who are getting the free water service are limited to a few blocks. These cattle owners said that they were getting free water but it was only once a day. "We get water only in the mornings. It is consumed immediately," he complained. "It should be provided at least twice a day," said Saleem, who had come from Mirpurkhas to sell his animals.

Traders also accused the administration of profiting from the water being sold by taking a share from the sales. "They are promoting these water sellers and they must be involved in the money-making scheme," said Ismail.

A water retailer, who was filling cans from a water pipe, refused to reveal how many cans he sold each day. He did admit, however, that he charged Rs35 per can. Meanwhile, officials had claimed that 150 tankers of 2,000 gallons each were providing free water to the traders each day.

Naveed Baig, the spokesperson for the administrator of the cattle market, maintained that they were providing water for drinking purposes only and not for any other use.

"These traders want more water so that they can bathe their animals and use it for their own personal needs. We are providing ample drinking water to them [traders] and their animals."

According to him, free water is being delivered twice a day in 17 of the 21 blocks of the market. The exempted blocks are the VIP blocks, which pay for all the facilities themselves. "Each animal gets 10 liters twice a day," he claimed.

Regarding the high rates of water being sold, the official said that sellers were only selling water five rupees higher than the official rate. "When we see these people selling for higher prices, we do catch them and take action," he claimed.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th, 2014.