Taking up space: Illegal cattle markets mushroom across city ahead of Eidul Azha

KMCs, DMCs, police taking money from owners of unauthorised cattle markets.

KARACHI:

With Eidul Azha around the corner, many illegal cattle markets have cropped up across the city for the sale of sacrificial animals. These makeshift stalls, however, are creating gridlocks for motorists in addition to posing environmental and health hazards, The Express Tribune has learnt.

The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and law-enforcement agencies seem to have turned a blind eye towards these illegal markets being set-up at every corner of the city.

Officials of the KMC told The Express Tribune that initially, the Sohrab Goth cattle market used to be established under the civic bodies. With time, it turned into a lucrative business with millions of rupees being invested in it and expensive animals being brought here for sale. Now, the Malir Cantonment has taken over the administrative charge of the Sohrab Goth Market.

Sohrab Goth cattle market administrator Shahab Ali said that he was working on three large contracts and seven small contracts after the Malir Cantonmnet gave him charge of the mandi.

In Karachi, citizens sacrifice around one million animals during the three days of Eidul Azha, according to the sources. As per calculations, around 0.2 million cows and 60,000 goats will be brought to the Sohrab Goth Market for sale this year for which the market administration will charge Rs1,000 entry fees for each cow or bull and Rs600 for each goat. The total revenue for the KMC from the entry fees adds up to Rs200 million from cows and Rs3.6million from goats.

In addition, there are parking contracts, drinking water contacts, makeshift hotels and small shops in the vicinity of the Sohrab Goth Market.

Illegal income

The KMC is not taking action against unauthorised cattle markets because it is a source of illegal income for the concerned police stations, area supervisors of the KMCs and the DMCs, alleged the sources.

Apart from Super Highway, officially, four spots are alloted for setting up cattle markets -Malir 15, Cattle Colony, Essa Nagri and Mawach Goth - while at least 150 illegal cattle markets have been set-up in different areas.

These illegal markets have been established near Ziauddin Hospital and in Liaquat no-10, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulsitan-e-Jauhar,  Scheme-33, Buffer Zone, Landhi, Korangi, North Nazimabad, , Mehmoodabad, Orangi, Mosamiat, Safoora Chowrangi, Jauhar Complex, Pehalwan Goth, Do-Minute Chowrangi, New Karachi Town, Sindhi Hotel, Up Morr, old railway station in Karimabad, Noori Hotel, Gadap, Quaidabad, Bhains Colony and other areas.

A trader who set up his cattle market near North Nazimabad Hydery Market claimed that he had given Rs20,000 to the area police station, and Rs50,00 to officials of the DMC and the KMC. "I have established a very small market in front of my house. For this, I had to bribe all concerned authorities," he added.

A resident of Up Morr North Karachi, Atif Raza, complained that since the illegal market had been established in the area, the noise pollution and stink was creating problems for the residents.

Some traders are also involved in the use of drugs, increasing the chances of untoward incidents, he added.

A resident of Gulistan-e-Jauhar was of the view that these markets are being established in connivance with the police and political groups.

The buyers, however, benefit from these cattle markets as they are offering competitive rates for the sacrificial animals. "The rates are negotiable as compared to the Sohrab Goth Market," said a buyer, Rizwan Ali.

The main markets is located far away from the city and millions of people are just flocking the markets for window shopping as these unauthorised  markets offer competitive rates, he added.

KMC Media Director Ali Hassan Sajid was of the view that KMC officers charging bribes from cattle market owners were acting on their own behalf, adding that if they received any complaint they would act strictly against such corrupt officials. "It is the responsibility of law-enforcement agencies to eliminate these illegal markets."

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2013.