Khalid Murad works at a bank in Kunri in the Umar Kot district. His family spends at least three months each year in severe distress. During this period, persistent symptoms like coughing, watery eyes, and a scratchy throat become regular occurrences for them.

This condition is not hereditary. It stems from Khalid Murad and his family residing merely a hundred yards away from the Chilli Market in Mujahid Colony, Kunri.

According to Khalid, the situation is exacerbated in the evenings. The airborne dispersion of chilli particles makes breathing difficult for the entire area.

“We confine ourselves to our rooms from 5 pm until 10 pm. The women in the household carry out their tasks with their faces covered by wet cloths. Children and elderly family members cannot leave the house during these hours. We’ve been patiently awaiting the completion of the new Chilli Market outside the city for fifteen years.”

As per the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI), Pakistan is fourth in red chilli production. The annual income from chilli exports is estimated at 9.6 million US dollars.

The country’s average yearly chilli production typically ranges between one and one and a half lakh tonnes. Three districts in Sindh—Mirpur Khas, Umerkot, and Badin—contribute 80 per cent of this production. Kunri is recognised as a significant hub for chilli trading, solidifying its position in the industry.

The Chilli Market is strategically situated at the heart of the tehsil headquarters in Kunri. Throughout the season, spanning from October to December, an estimated 10,000 bags of chillies are traded daily.

According to Shankar Lal, the shopkeeper at the Chilli Market, the trading activities extend beyond uncrushed (raw) chilli, encompassing 35 mills dedicated to producing powdered chilli and four packaging factories operating within the market. The air quality becomes severely compromised due to the abundance of chilli dust and particles, posing challenges to breathing.

“The completion of the Chilli Market outside the city would have brought convenience to both the residents and traders. However, construction work has been at a standstill for an extended period.”

Kunri is home to 30,000 people, with 10,000 residing near the Chilli Market. In addition to the construction of the new market, the government initiated a ‘Chilli Processing Unit’ within the Kunri Chilli Market. Despite an expenditure of 250 million rupees, the unit has not yet become operational.

Khalid Murad highlights that chilli-related pollution is most severe in areas such as Mujahid Colony, Pathan Colony, Aqab Nagar, and Bhatai Colony.

“Not only do the residents, but even the prisoners in the nearby police station of Thana Kunri experience distress, as the jail bars are unable to prevent the infiltration of chilli dust in the air.”

Dr Mubarak Dars, the Assistant Medical Superintendent of Kunri Hospital, informs Lok Sujag that the outpatient department attends to seven to eight hundred patients daily. Over sixty per cent of these cases are attributed to the adverse effects of chilli dust.

He says that the most affected patients are children and elderly individuals who often report burning sensations in their faces and eyes. Many experience difficulty in coughing or breathing, and in severe cases, these respiratory issues may escalate into conditions like asthma or tuberculosis.

“Cases of burning eyes are prevalent here, but unfortunately, we don’t have any eye specialists available.”

Dr Nand Lal, the Medical Superintendent, highlights a shortage of 60 doctors in the hospital. The demand for the hospital escalates during the chilli season.

“In the past three months alone, we have admitted 215 patients with tuberculosis and asthma. It is essential to relocate the Chilli Market outside the city.”

The Chilli Market in Kunri drives a business worth millions, housing around 50 shops and approximately 500 weight machines. Nearly a thousand labourers are employed, and dozens of vehicles and loader rickshaws enter the market daily.

Jagdish Kumar, a 40-year-old, has been labouring in the Chilli Market for several years and frequently falls ill.

He mentions earning ten rupees per bag as labour; on a good day, he can make up to 500 to 600 rupees. It’s a constant struggle for him to decide whether to allocate his earnings towards medical treatment or provide daily necessities for his children.

He says that seeking medical treatment for an ill labourer is impossible; the shopkeepers offer no financial assistance. “A majority of the labourers working here are dealing with asthma and respiratory diseases. The conditions are so dire that they don’t even have access to drinking water. There is only one washroom shared among all the labourers.”

Shopkeeper Vijay Kumar says that the Chilli Market is grappling with severe problems. The roads are in disrepair, sewerage water is contaminated, and there is a lack of proper cleanliness arrangements. He says that if the new market had been constructed, it would have provided relief to everyone.

The project for the new Chilli Market was approved in 2007 by the former MPA Dr Dost Muhammad Memon. The former Tehsil Nazim Jam Memon already purchased the 22 acres of land for the market. Construction also began in the same year.

As outlined in Project PC-1, the design for the New Chilli Market encompassed the construction of 300 shops, warehouses, a dispensary, a mosque, three hotels catering to traders’ convenience, and a restaurant. The project also included the establishment of two police checkposts, a water supply tank, and the construction of durable roads.

Dr Dost Muhammad Memon says that the estimated market cost was seven crore rupees, and the project was initially slated for completion within three years. In the first year, five crore rupees were released. Unfortunately, with the advent of the Pakistan Peoples Party’s government, the contractor absconded, leaving the project unfinished.

He explains that during this period, the contractor abandoned the project due to escalating construction material prices and the non-revision of contract rates. As a result, millions of rupees’ worth of equipment stands wasted over time.
He alleges extensive corruption in the New Chilli Market project. Investigations by NAB and FIA were initiated based on anonymous requests, but no conclusive report or case has been filed. Despite the expenditure of millions of rupees, the project remains incomplete.

The Building and Works Department officials have refrained from disclosing details about the funds allocated for the market construction. However, on the condition of anonymity, one officer mentioned that there had been no change in the PC-1 of the market. The cost estimate for the market has increased due to inflation.

Former Tehsil Nazim Jam Memon recalls attending a wedding in the city during his tenure. During the celebration, all the reception guests refrained from eating due to the chilli dust in the air. At that moment, he pledged to relocate the Chilli Market outside the city.

“My son was an MPA, and I served as the Nazim. Together, we sincerely tried to complete the Chilli Market project, but unfortunately, the work remains unfinished to this day.”