No funds for offal disposal in Karachi's most-populated district

With SSWMB functioning in four out of six of districts, administrative chaos expected in Central, Korangi districts

KARACHI: To clean the city of the entrails and remains of sacrificial animals during Eidul Azha, the different administrative units of the city have tightened their belts. However, like every year, citizens may have to bear the brunt of ill-planning for want of coordination among the different administrative agencies of the city.

With six district municipal corporations (DMCs), five cantonment boards and 12 other agencies, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation's (KMC) senior director is not optimistic about cleanliness in the city on Eidul Azha.

"There is no unity of command in the city," the KMC official told The Express Tribune, adding that one cannot expect results when the authorities are so divided.

Mayor Wasim Akhtar stressed the need to adopt a comprehensive strategy for the removal of offal on Eidul Azha which could ensure proper cleanliness and better sanitation on all three days of Eid.



Presiding over a high-level meeting with representatives from the district administration, cantonment boards, Karachi Port Trust, Pakistan Air Force, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board and district municipal corporations, he said the municipal department of the KMC has established a central control room at the KMC head office while the KMC Complaints Center 1339 will also be activated on a 'round-the-clock basis' to address any complaints during Eid.

The mayor said trenches have been dug up in different districts of the city for burial of offal in a scientific method. He said that the elected representatives, along with the KMC officers and district staff, oversee the whole operation in their remit and remain in contact with the concerned organisation. "More sacrifice of animals is expected this year [than in the past]," he said, adding that some people leave the remains of sacrificial animals on the roads and roundabouts, causing accidents and other problems.

He appealed to the people not to dump offal in drains and other places and to only put it in open space for lifting and disposal by municipal staff.

Administrative chaos

With the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) functioning in only four of the city's six districts - East, South, Malir and West - an administrative chaos in the collection of offal is likely to occur in Central and Korangi districts.



According to District Central DMC Chairperson Rehan Hashmi, the SSWMB isn't functional in their district. Hence, they haven't received any funds for offal disposal from the Sindh government.

"District Central is the largest district of Karachi in terms of population," he said, adding that last year 0.75 million animals were sacrificed and this year the figure is expected to rise. "We have divided the district into four zones; North Nazimabad, North Karachi, Liaquatabad, Nazimabad and North Karachi," he said, explaining that animal entrails would be collected from these points and then dumped into trenches.

The trenches, he said, are being dug near Muhammad Shah graveyard's mountains. Meanwhile, District Korangi DMC Chairperson Nayyar Raza was unavailable for comment.
District East DMC's focal person for offal collection, Muhammad Nafees, seemed optimistic as SSWMB is functional in the district.

However, he said that the board isn't directly under their ambit but their job is to coordinate with them.



"The funds and machinery will be of the board's," he said. The strategy in District East is to make around 17 offal collection points for 31 union councils of the area.

Suzuki pickups will pick up animal remains from the streets of the district and bring it to the collection points from where dumpers will move the offal to the trenches being dug at a landfill site, Jam Chakro.

Last year, the trenches were dug up in Malir River. However, Nafees said that the location for trenches was changed this year on the directives of the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency.

In District Malir, four collection points - Hospital Ground near DMC Malir Office, Quaidabad Bridge, Gosht Market and near Bhittaiabad Road - have been designated, according to SSWMB Director Tariq Nizami.

He said three trenches were being dug near Sharafi Goth. Meanwhile, District Malir's union council is responsible for arrangements in the district's rural areas. This will be the first time SSWMB will carry out offal disposal in Malir and West districts.

District West DMC Director Naveed Larik said that since Orangi Town has narrow streets, they have arranged wheelbarrows and 10 Suzuki pickups for each UC. The trenches for this area will also be in Jam Chakro.

The SSWMB and DMCs have no control over the city's cantonment areas. Meanwhile, no official of South DMC was available for comment.