Lahorites showed satisfaction over the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) arrangement for cleanliness during the Eidul Azha. With the co-operation of the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC), Water and Sanitation Authority (Wasa) and its Public Health Department, the CDGL chalked out a comprehensive cleanliness plan in the provincial metropolis to manage animal waste.
The CDGL authorities constituted teams at town and council level to ensure collection and disposal of animal wastes. Earlier, the District Co-ordination Officer (DCO) Lahore had banned burning 'Siri-Paayes' (head and feet of sacrificial animals) on the roadsides and warned to take stern action against those found in such activity. In this connection, special teams were formed to prevent burning of head and foot of sacrificial animals.
The city government's drive against such practice remained successful, as no temporary stalls of burning 'Siri-Paayes' were seen on roadside in heavy numbers as per past routine, although some did provide the services within or on a house top. To nab such people the District Administration conducted massive crackdown on all three days of Eid. On the first day of Eid, 15 cases were registered and 16 persons were arrested over violation of section 144. On the second day, 40 cases were registered and 40 persons were arrested over roasting 'Siri-Paayes' in streets and roads of city, breaking section 144. On the last day, 68 cases were registered and 70 persons were held. It is worth mentioning here that CDGL had imposed a ban on roasting 'Siri-Paayes' in streets and roads and had designated six places in this regard.
To ensure cleanliness during the Eid days and disposal of animals' waste, the city government had cancelled the holidays of field staff concerned. Apart from going from door-to-door to collect animal waste, the staff of LWMC were deployed at different points to collect animal waste. In addition to that additional temporary waste enclosures were set up the LWMC to transfer waste from streets and areas on urgent basis.
Outside the city, the city government had already dug up dump-dug to manage animal waste. A complaint cell regarding cleanliness arrangements was also activated at the DCO's office, which worked round the clock during Eid holidays. Also, the LWMC operations and communication teams were present on the occasion for all three days of Eid to provide guidance and assistance to people.
Moreover, the LWMC had arranged around 1,000 vehicles for speedy collection and disposal of waste; these vehicles were available on request through complaint cells. Due to these massive arrangements, no scenes of offal and intestines of sacrificial animals lying in streets or open plots were seen and residents of the metropolis faced no hardships of bad odour or any such vice.
It may be mentioned that the LWMC had already distributed waste bags and literature on how to maintain a healthy environment. As part of a awareness campaign, the LWMC 'social mobilises' had visited different schools, colleges, Madrassas, mosques and markets to inform people about the safe way of disposing animal waste.
Nevertheless, those offering services of mincing the meat of sacrificial animals were seen busy on all three days and they charged hefty prices from the meat lovers. Though there was also a ban on collecting hides by different political parties or organisations, camps were set up by different organisations and people were seen donating the hides. On third day of Eid, people also thronged the recreational places like Lahore Zoological Gardens, Bagh-e-Jinnah, Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park and others such places to have a pleasure time with near and dear ones.