Not an attraction: In Matta Bazaar, puddles of rainwater outnumber shops

Commercial area of 3,500 faces lack of facilities, unhygienic conditions.

SWAT:

For traders who regularly pay their taxes, lack of facilities and unhygienic condition in Matta Bazaar is a hard pill to swallow.

The only commercial hub of the entire Matta Tehsil in Upper Swat, has, for a long time now, been facing a plethora of problems including lack of clean drinking water, poor waste management and incessant load shedding.

“All the 13 union councils of the Matta Tehsil are hooked up to this bazaar with 3,500 shops, but we don’t have clean drinking water and face abysmal cleanliness conditions,” Akbar Bacha, President Matta Traders’ Federation, said.

“The Tehsil Municipal Corporation has turned a blind eye to the cleanliness situation. The place is stinking all the time,” he said.



The traders said that the town administration was charging taxes from them but in return they were provided with no facility.

Umar Ali, a shopkeeper in the Matta Bazaar, said that they pay taxes regularly and expect a cue from the share.

Walking in the market is an ordeal, as roads remain muddy for days after each spell of rain. Puddles of rainwater are easier to find than the things you need to buy, said a local, Samandar Khan.

“There are no street lights in the entire Matta Tehsil. Our markets remain muddy for many days after each rain and the administration always tursn a deaf ear to our complaints, they just collect taxes,” Mohmmad Nisar, Fruits and Vegetables Market President told The Express Tribune.



He said that they collectively pay off Rs80,000 as taxes per month but get nothing in return.

The traders have demanded of the government to provide them basic facilities.

Meanwhile, Ihsanullah Khan, Tehsil Municipal Corporation Officer, said that they do not have enough resources to facilitate the traders. “Our janitorial staff clean markets on Fridays and we try our best to upkeep the market despite having meagre resources,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2013.