LAHORE: With Eid-ul-Azha approaching fast, 11 cattle markets will be opened from Sunday (today) for the people to buy sacrificial animals in the provincial capital while the civic agencies have finalised their plans to keep the city clean during the festive days.
According to the Climate Data Processing Center, the Zilhaj moon is likely to be seen in Pakistan on June 19 and Eid-ul-Azha may fall on June 29 (Thursday). The Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee would meet on June 19 for the moon-sighting of Zilhaj, which would be chaired by Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad at the meteorological department office in Karachi. To kick start the sale of sacrificial animals, the Lahore administration would set up 10 temporary sales points and one permanent (at Shahpur Kanjran); the temporary cattle markets would be set up on a no-profit-no-loss basis. Moreover, the administration decided that this year makeshift cattle market at Sigian would be shifted to Dosaku Chowk near Sigian.
Among the identified sale points for sacrificial animals, three temporary markets would be established in Nishter Zone at LDA City (near Sidhar Village at Kahna Kachha, Defence Road), LDA Avenue-One (on Raiwind Road) and Pine Avenue Road, two at Allama Iqbal Zone at NFC Society (near Bahria Town) and Raiwind (near Haveli Markaz, opposite Nisar Spring Mills on Sundar Road), and one each selling point at Turkey Road, near LWMC dumping point in Lakhodair (Wagha Zone), Site for IT University (Main Campus) on Barki Road, near Paragon Society (Aziz Bhatti Zone), Faqeer Muhammad Dagya Road, near SNGPL Office (Ravi Zone), Hazrat Usman Ghani Road, near Saggian Road (Data Ganj Baksh Zone), and Sports Complex at Adda Rakh Chabeel, near Manwan Hospital (Shalimar Zone).
In this connection, Commissioner Lahore Muhammad Ali Randhawa chaired a meeting here on Saturday to review arrangements for the makeshift cattle markets in Lahore Division. The meeting was told that six cattle markets were being set up in Kasur, nine in Sheikhupura, six in Nankana and 11 in Lahore for the trading of sacrificial animals for Eid-ul-Azha. A total of 11 cattle markets, including the Shahpur Kanjran market in Lahore would be functioning from today. Moreover, 106 collection points would be set up in Lahore for waste collection while the police chalked out a security plan and duty roster for the security of temporary cattle markets.
While addressing the meeting, the Commissioner said that no tax or fee shall be charged in the temporary cattle markets of Lahore. He directed the senior officials to be present in the field for a clean Lahore during the Eid holidays. He said that the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC)’s cleanliness operation would continue for the first three days of Eid. On the fourth day, there would be a zero-waste operation.
Meanwhile, the Water and Sanitation Authority (Wasa) Lahore finalised the SOPs for Eid-ul-Azha. The Wasa Operation and Maintenance Directors of all towns have been instructed to ensure water supply and sewage and drainage systems during the Eid holidays.
Wasa Managing Director Ghafran Ahmed instructed the Directors to inspect their areas and address the issues of open or broken manholes and overflow of water immediately. He asked the field officers to remain active and fully mobilised while all drains should be desalinated as per schedule. He also directed them to deploy drinking water tankers in all cattle markets while all operational staff should be on 24-hour duty in three shifts during the Eid holidays.
The Wasa Lahore has also decided to launch a public awareness campaign to minimise the dumping of animal waste in drains.
Moreover, while chairing a meeting, LWMC CEO Babar Sahib Din said that before Eid-ul-Azha, around 1,000 new containers were being placed in the field and another 200 waste bins decorated with truck art wing installed across the city. He directed the senior officials to be prepared to keep the city clean during the Eid holidays, adding that all arrangements were being completed to ensure the provision of the best sanitation facilities on Eid-ul-Azha.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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