Graveyards turned into dumping grounds

CDA urged to clear heaps of garbage, requests citizens to be responsible

ISLAMABAD:

The graveyards in the capital city are turned into dumping grounds mainly due to lack of coordination between the Capital Development Authority's (CDA) Sanitation Department and Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA).

"Piles of garbage are increasing gradually in various graveyards because of poor cleanliness services in the federal capital while managers are still reluctant to opt for scientific methods to shift household trash from residential areas," DMA Deputy Director Chaudhry Arshad said on Wednesday.

Pointing out the indifferent attitude of the departments concerned towards cleanliness of the burial places, a citizen named Maimona Hasnain shared a post on social media to draw their attention towards heaps of garbage piling at a graveyard located in sector H-11. She urged the authorities concerned to launch a cleanliness drive at graveyards at the earliest.

Read Govt sacks USC chairman, dissolves BoDs

She also appealed to citizens to refrain from littering while visiting graveyards to offer prayer for their loved ones. "CDA and municipality need to wake up and coordinate a massive cleanliness operation in the area," Arooj Jalil, another citizen commented on the post.

Chief Metropolitan Officer Syeda Shafaq Hashmi mentioned that there are five graveyards in the capital city at present. “Three of them are dedicated for Muslims whereas two are for the Christian community,” she informed. Hashmi said that the DMA was only responsible for the maintenance of graveyards whereas cleanliness falls under the sanitation department. "We are holding meetings with them to streamline various matters as it was recently shifted back to the CDA," she added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st, 2021.