City roads choke as Eid animal trade peaks

HYDERABAD: With Eidul Azha drawing closer, the trade in sacrificial animals has intensified across Hyderabad, but delays in establishing official cattle markets have led many traders to set up along roadsides, causing traffic congestion and sanitation problems in several parts of the city.

Citizens have already started buying animals with about a week left before Eid, amid rising prices. Some residents are travelling to interior Sindh districts to purchase cattle, while others are continuing their search within the city according to their budgets and preferences.

Roads and intersections turned into sale points

Instead of operating from designated market sites, traders have reportedly established informal livestock sale points on highways, intersections and streets in residential areas. Locations including Godh Chowk, Latifabad Unit 8 Chowk, Unit 7 Central Road, Unit 10, Pakka Qila Chowk, Gado Chowk, several parts of Qasimabad, Phuleli, Paretabad, Sakhi Pir Chowk and Liaquat Colony have been turned into temporary cattle trading spots.

Each evening, traders bring goats and other animals to these areas, tying them along the roadside and conducting sales there. Motorists often stop in the middle of the road to ask about prices, adding to the traffic buildup on already busy routes.

The presence of animals on roads, along with fodder waste and manure, has also added to garbage accumulation in these areas, making movement difficult for residents and worsening local cleanliness conditions.

Official markets yet to be set up

Cited in the report, an official cattle market is usually held every Wednesday at Hatri Bypass under UC Hatri, where both large and small animals are sold. However, the contract for this year’s Eid cattle market has not yet been awarded.

Official markets under the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and the Cantonment Board have also not been established so far. In the absence of regulated market spaces, traders have continued operating on city roads, while police at local stations are reportedly unable to take effective action.

Animal inflow continues from other districts and cities

In addition to roadside trading, private cattle farms and enclosures in areas such as Latifabad Unit 10 and Phuleli are also witnessing heavy movement of animals. These animals are being brought from interior Sindh as well as from Multan, Bahawalpur and Gujranwala for sale ahead of Eid.

Residents, meanwhile, continue visiting these crowded locations late into the night in search of suitable sacrificial animals. As Eid approaches, the temporary roadside markets in Hyderabad are becoming increasingly congested, with traffic and waste management issues continuing to affect daily life in the city.