Subzi Mandi suffers Rs70m loss in trading: Protest over Bajaur
By Aamir Shafaat Khan
KARACHI, Nov 3: An estimated daily trading of Rs60-70 million from the arrival of trucks loaded with fruits and vegetables in the Subzi Mandi Super Highway remained completely suspended on Friday owing to total shutter down to protest the Bajaur killing.
Activists of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and members of Subzi Mandi also held a demonstration and offered funeral prayers in absentia for over 80 people who were killed in an army air-strike at a Madarsa in Bajaur last week.
Supply of fruits and vegetables to the city markets also remained suspended. However, the impact of Subzi Mandi shutter down had not been felt at the retail side where prices of greens and fruits remained unchanged as many traders had already brought the commodities on Thursday.
However, there might be many opportunists in the city markets who fleeced the consumers on Friday despite lifting the commodities on Thursday.
Irrespective of the financial losses suffered by the traders who had already made up their minds two days back to protest the Bajaur carnage, some 15-20 workers who hail from Bajaur have lost their children in the air-strike, Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market president Haji Shahjehan told Dawn.
Some 5,000-6,000 people belonging to Bajaur earn their livelihood in the Subzi Mandi while others belong to Dir and Kashmir who either live in nearby localities or in the Subzi Mandi, he said terming the air-strike brutal and unwise act on part of the government.
More than 15,000 people are employed in the Subzi Mandi directly in 3,000-3,500 shops which are functional out of total 5,000 shops. At a time of peak season of arrival of fruits and vegetables from the new crop and export season, some 15,000-20,000 more people find jobs in handling of vegetable and fruits in the trucks and vans.
Some 400-500 trucks loaded with vegetables and fruits arrive daily in the Subzi Mandi in normal days from the upcountry. However, in peak season the daily attendance rises to 900-1,000 trucks.
Shahjehan said that a truck carried 12-25 tons of fruits and vegetable worth Rs100,000-200,000 depending on the season.
The arrival of trucks carrying fruits and vegetables are not only for consumption in Karachi but also for export shipments and onward supply to other destinations of the country, he said.
There is also a parallel activity in the Subzi Mandi as many people including women and children earn their livelihood by lifting fruits and vegetables which fall during loading and unloading from the vehicles and also from the garbage. They also collect the rejected vegetables and sell it at Rs2 to Rs5 per kg depending on the quality.
