Claims of a clean Eid fall through

Lack of timely collection of offal, wastes of sacrificial animals left residential, commercial areas, schools bloody.

RAWALPINDI: Eid did not turn out to be as clean as the city authorities had promised. Residential and commercial areas along with educational institutions presented a blood-stained look due to lack of timely collection of offal and other wastes of sacrificial animals.

Similarly, pools of blood and carcasses of sacrifised animals could be found on the corner of streets and markets and even on roads.

This was not only causing sewerage and environmental worries for the locals, but also posed potential health hazards.

Town Municipal Administration (TMA) failed in meeting the expectations, said Sajid Mehmood, a resident of Kartarpura. “Proper sanitation arrangements were not made in the city,” he said.

“Animals were slaughtered here and there. Pools of blood could be seen on the roads with the offal scattered at various places,” he added.

Similarly, majority of the schools in the city turned into slaughterhouses, while others were treated as dumping sites.

Sacrificial animals were kept and subsequently slaughtered on the premises of the schools and colleges. These included Government Commerece College Satellite Town, Phagwai, Government Post Graduate College Asghar Maill, Gordon College and Degree College for Women Khayab-e-Sir Syed.

Principal Government Commerce College Professor Fakhar Raja told The Express Tribune that being a teacher he could not stop anyone from using the college for the aforesaid purpose. “It was the responsibility of the concerned authorities to look into the matter and prevent it from happening,” he said.

On the other hand, Town Municipal Officer Malik Tausif Ahmed said it was also the responsibility of people not to throw offal and other waste on the roads or outside school and colleges.

“People should not throw wastes into drains, green areas and in garbage trolleys, but keep them at open places near their houses for easy collection by the sanitation staff,” he said.

Another official of TMA said that places were already assigned for slaughtering animals. “Usage of educational institutions for this purpose was a violation of the rules,” he added.

Iqbal added that necessary arrangements were made to ensure cleanliness in the city. “Eid holidays of the entire sanitation staff were cancelled for this purpose,” he said.

Meanwhile, Abdul Hadi, a resident of Khayaban-e-Sir Syed said, “After sacrifising the animals, we ensured complete cleanliness of the schools that were used for this purpose.” Responding to a question, he said that there was nothing wrong with the practice because during Eid holidays educational institutions remained close. He said that they were paying an extra amount to the municipal staff to clean the sites.

However, Principal of a school at Dhoke Ratta Amral said that it was quiet difficult for him to stop the people from using the school premises as a slaughterhouse.

“There should be prescribed rules in this connection and authorities should ensure their implementation. Students should not be welcomed with the foul smell and offal on their return after holidays,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2010.