Mayor orders fumigation on all days of Eid

Directs speedy removal of offal, timely response to citizens' complaints during Eid

Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar issued fumigation directives for district municipal corporations (DMCs) on Thursday, and ordered the bodies to ensure timely removal of offal on Eidul Azha.

Presiding over a meeting called to review measures in relevance to Eidul Azha, the mayor ordered DMCs to fumigate garbage collection points on all three days of the religious festival, adding that each of them would be provided three vehicles, spraying equipment and staff for the purpose.

He further instructed them to ensure that areas near mosques, imambargahs and Eidgahs were fumigated by today (Friday), a day before Eid.

Offal disposal

Speaking on the matter of disposing of offal, Akhtar said that citizens could lodge complaints of the waste not having been lifted to the complaints information centre at 1399.

"DMC teams will then be sent to the relevant site to remove offal, so that the environment is kept clean and people are able to observe Eid without any difficulty," he explained.

He then directed DMC officials to take prompt action on citizens' complaints and make arrangements for the timely removal of offal in any case, expressing concern that the situation might be aggravated if it rained.

"An effective mechanism should be devised for lifting and disposing of animals' remains," the mayor said. "Like previous years, hundreds of thousands of animals will be sacrificed this time around too in Karachi and the situation demands for making arrangements for offal removal," he added.

The mayor called for district administrations to rely on their experience of previous years to make arrangements for facilitating citizens this Eid.

Call for collective efforts

Akhtar also appealed to citizens to act responsibly and dump offal only at designated locations, so as to keep the city's streets and roads clean. Besides, the mayor urged people to refrain from dumping offal in drains, as it would result in choking nullahs, adding that it would be "the public that will suffer eventually."

"It is necessary to ensure cleanliness and follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic," he emphasised.

He went on to say, "This city belongs to all of us and we can keep it clean through joint efforts. I hope that all relevant departments will play their role in facilitate citizens through collective efforts."

The mayor also called for the Ulema to request citizens to follow SOPs.

'Joint strategy'

Separately, Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah assured that all relevant departments had taken concerted steps under a joint strategy to facilitate people on Eidul Azha.

The minister said that relevant local body and district administration officers had been instructed to stay in the field to address citizens' issues during Eid, and added that the leaves of relevant department's officials had been cancelled ahead of the religious festival.

"They will keep a constant watch over their respective areas to ensure the timely disposal of animals' remains, while district administrations will stay in touch with other relevant departments for the purpose," he said. "In case of any untoward or emergency situation, district administrations will take the required action in collaboration with law enforcement agencies."

Asking people to lodge complaints to control rooms in case of any problems on Eidul Azha, he said that in line with the instructions of the Pakistan Peoples Party chairperson and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, local bodies' officials would be mobilised on the occasion to assist citizens.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 31^st, 2020.