KARACHI: Like other parts of the country, Eidul Azha was celebrated with religious zest and fervour in Karachi.
The first day of the three day Eid, begin with congregational prayers at Masajid and Eid-ghas on Saturday morning, where special prayers were sought for the peace and prosperity of the country and for the speedy recovery of the people affected from the Covid-19 pandemic across the world including Pakistan.
Despite poor financial conditions due to unemployment and slow economic activities in the face of coronavirus, a large number of people performed sacrifices of animals in the city.
The Covid-19 SOPs as advised by the government and health experts were largely defied by the people especially at Masajid. Hardly a few among the participants of congregational Eid prayers were seen wearing masks while social distancing was maintained nowhere.
The Sindh government had designated around 500 sites across the city for mass scarifies including 120 sites in District West, 119 in District Central, 60 in District East, 38 in District Malir, 13 in District South and 210 in the jurisdiction of District Council, but people were seen slaughtering animals individually at almost every nook and cranny of the city, except a few posh localities.
During visits to different parts of the city, it was observed the animal waste was littered over the roads and streets of Malir, Korangi, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Lyari and Saddar. The residents of these areas also complained of the slow process of cleanup operation by the civic agencies.
However, the government teams were also busy transporting offal and waste from different collection points through vehicles.
Sindh Solid Waste Management Board claimed to have lifted 51,312 tonnes of animal offal during the three days of Eid from the city and disposed off at the designated landfill sites. As per report released from the SSWMB, some 11,475 tonnes of offal was lifted from the District South, 10,741 tonnes from East, 4,691 tonnes from Malir, some 5,004 tonnes from Korangi, around 9,012 tonnes from West, and some 10,388 tonnes of animal waste was lifted from the district Central of the metropolis.
As many as 85 collection points were set up at different city neighbourhoods, wherefrom the animal offal was being transported to the landfill sites trenches through trucks, and dumpers. Only 223 complaints were received from the citizens regarding the presence of animal waste; however, the board has resolved 85 percent of those complaints, said the report.
Mayor Karachi Wasim Akhtar admitted that lifting process was not ideal in Districts Central and West. Different organizations had also helped in lifting of offal from streets in Districts Central and West. Elected representatives of local government were also in the fields along with SSWMB.
Speaking to media at Shah Faisal Colony, Akhtar said that offal lifting process was far better in District Korangi but the operation suffered delay owing to shortage of machinery including dumper and loader.
He said that Pakistan Army and National Disaster Management Authority has been summoned for cleanliness of drains in Karachi, adding that the local government would have done this job had it was empowered.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020