Daily Times

Following Eidul Azha, residents in many areas of the city complained about poor arrangements by Sindh government and the city government for collection and disposal of offal.

According to health experts, the unmanaged waste could pose a serious threat in the presence of rainfall.

The Karachi city government, led by Mayor Waseem Akhtar, had issued several directives preceding Eidul Azha regarding waste management and disposal. According to a local government official, the municipal administration had utilized all its resources in cooperation with the provincial government. “Our team did their best to dispose and lift the offal across Karachi,” he added.

Spokesperson of the local government also maintained that sanitation workers continued the collection and disposal of offal in metropolis throughout the three days of Eid.

He added that during the special operation initiated for Eidul Azha, sanitation workers collected and disposed off offal, entrails and other waste material of thousands of sacrificial animals.

Sindh minister for local government Saeed Ghani expressed anger over heaps of offal and animal waste lying in different areas of the city after Eidul Azha. “We had arranged at least 3,000 vehicles and temporarily hired 5,000 people to dump the remains directly at landfill sites and which has been done nicely,” he remarked while talking to media persons. Ghani noted that there had been an overall improvement in the cleanliness drive in Karachi.

Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) was also assigned the task of lifting offal after Eidul Azha. SSWMB works under the Sindh government and is mainly responsible for the collection and disposal of offal and animal waste.

Despite all efforts made by administrative agencies of the metropolis, offal, entrails and other waste of sacrificial animals piled up in city. Citizens, particularly those residing near nullahs had been urged by the authorities not to throw slaughter waste in nullahs but heaps of animal waste were observed in nullahs throughout the three day festival. Clogging of nullahs with animal waste is not just an environmental threat but also a health hazard.

Rashid Mustaqeem, a citizen, opined that this situation could be tackled by prohibiting the slaughter of animals at homes, on roads and in public places. “Most western countries and even Muslim countries have designated areas approved as slaughterhouses and it is only there that one can slaughter animals,” explained Mustaqeem and added that these slaughter houses were located well away from human dwellings.

“There must be purpose-built premises to slaughter animals,” said Mustaqeem. He added that if the government was cautious regarding the health and hygiene of its citizens it could put up abattoirs close to all urban residential areas.

Published in Daily Times, August 25^th 2018.