Civic authorities do an ‘offal job’ on Eidul Azha

Tons of animal waste disposed of in twin cities during three days of sacrifces


City authorities said that sanitation staff was picking offal and entrails after every five to eight hours. PHOTO:FILE

RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD: The Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) on Friday claimed to have lifted 9,988 tons of offal from various areas of the garrison city.

The Islamabad Municipal Corporation (IMC) said it has disposed of offal, entrails and waste of 96,000 sacrificial animals.

According to a survey of Daily Express, during all three days of Eidul Azha, RSWMC, sanitation departments of Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) and Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB) were overwhelmed with the load of handling leftovers of the sacrifices. In many areas of the city, the civic authorities failed in the post-Eid clean up.

2,100 sanitary workers get bonus salary on Eid

Residents of some areas told Daily Express that guts and other leftover of sacrificial animals were lifted after 24 hours, which not only polluted the air but also reeked of a foul smell but also exacerbated the threat of spread of dangerous virus.

The employees of RWMC deployed for lifting entrails of the sacrificial animals were charging ‘forced Edi’ to do the job they were paid for by the government from the taxpayers’ pockets. “Even the sweepers are corrupt in this society,” a resident of Gowalmandi, Ahsan Ali, said.

In most of the old city areas, the gutters were choked which left the blood of sacrificed animals on streets with sewage causing a foul smell in the air, Daily Express team observed.

It is hard to breath near the biggest collection point for entrails and offal at Dhoke Hassu. Besides, the cleanliness staff cut short their job and dumped intestines and offal at the corners of the markets after picking it from the residential areas. Top officials of RSWMC, RCB and CCB were on holiday during three days of Eidul Azha and junior staff were overseeing the clean-up operation.

Offal collection relatively more effective than last year

Owing to irresponsible behaviour of the sanitation staff, limestone was not sprinkled at the sites from where animal waste was cleared. Limestone reacts with moisture and kills germ, therefore, it has been a practice for decades to sprinkle limestone powder after lifting animal waste during Eidul Azha.

While the Daily Express team observed many shortcomings  the cleanliness operation after Eidul Azha, Deputy Commissioner Dr Umar Jehangir expressed satisfaction over the situation.

City authorities said that sanitation staff was picking offal and entrails after every five to eight hours.

Meanwhile, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) in a statement said it has removed nearly 2,500 tons offal, entrails and waste of sacrificial animals during three days of Eidul Azha. According to RCB 650 sanitary workers, three sanitary inspectors, 25 supervisors and 94 vehicles with a large number of hand-carts were used to remove garbage, entrails of animals and offal from all cantonment areas.

In the capital

The Sanitation Directorate of Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) claimed that it has successfully completed cleanliness operation on Eidul Azha.

During this special operation, workers of the Sanitation Directorate have collected and disposed of offal, entrails and other waste material of more than 96,000 sacrificial animals.

The Advisor to Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Baber Awan, CDA Chairman Ishrat Ali and Deputy Mayor Syed Zeshan Ali Naqvi visited different sectors to inspect arrangements made by the Sanitation Directorate in connection with special cleanliness operation.

Director Sanitation, Sardar Khan Zimri and officers of other relevant formations accompanied them during their visits. Officials and officers of Sanitation Directorate participated in the cleanliness operation with full devotion and for this reason the operation remained successful. Furthermore, cooperation of the residents of the city was among the key factor which has made this operation a success.

According to action plan, 60 deep ditches and trenches were dug up at 30 different locations of the city, where the remains and offal of sacrificial animals were disposed of scientifically. During the cleanliness operation, remains and offal of 96,709 small and big animals were collected and disposed of during the three days operation.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25th, 2018.

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