On February 28, between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM, by order of local authorities, the market was disconnected from water supply and electricity. At midnight, access to the market area was blocked, and the roads leading to it were closed.
Many traders were not prepared for such drastic measures from the authorities. They report that they were unable to access their workplaces to retrieve their goods. "Last night we were not allowed in, and today the situation has not changed. Our containers are being taken away with the goods, and we do not know where exactly," they said.
Earlier, a group of entrepreneurs met with the new mayor of the city, requesting a delay until September to raise funds to buy spots at the new market. However, local authorities decided to adhere to the established deadlines.
The head of the urban planning and municipal property department of the mayor's office, Mirlan Kazybay uulu, reported that there were 1,280 trading spots at the old market, while the new complex on B. Osmonov Street will accommodate 1,420 trading points.
The new market is being built without the use of containers, and the project is fully funded by private investors. The municipality has warned traders four times about the need to relocate. The deadlines were moved from August to October, and then to the beginning of the following year. The last agreement with the entrepreneurs stipulated that the relocation process should be completed by March 1.
Despite new requests to extend the demolition deadlines until the end of the month of Ramadan, the municipality insisted on completing the process and did not extend the lease.
Starting at 7:00 AM on March 1, traders began to remove their property. The mayor's office provided special equipment, such as cranes, excavators, and trucks, for transporting containers and goods to the new market — this is funded by the city budget and is free for entrepreneurs. If they choose to send their cargo to other areas, such as Furkat or Kaarman, they only pay for fuel at a discounted rate.
According to local authorities, the site where the old "Kelechek" market was located is privately owned. After it is cleared, the owner plans to build a modern shopping center or a multi-story residential complex on the site.
The relocation of markets in Osh became relevant after the devastating mudflows in 2024 when the central market was affected by flooding in the Ak-Buura river floodplain. The city authorities set the task of moving large trading facilities outside the center.
Powerful mudflows hit Osh and the Kara-Suu district on July 14, 2024, after heavy rains in the mountain gorges. Dozens of residential buildings and social facilities were flooded, and vehicles were damaged. In the Kara-Suu district, 718 residential houses and 12 social facilities were affected. In Osh, 785 trading areas were flooded.
In connection with this disaster, a state of emergency was declared in the city. As a result of the flooding, 6 people died, including 4 members of one family — a woman and her three children. A woman born in 1985 was also a victim. One person died in the village of Ozgur under the wheels of a truck.
On July 15, 2024, the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers visited Osh and the central market, stating that such destructive consequences had not been observed in the last 30 years.
