RAWALPINDI, Oct 29: Compared to previous years, the city presented a neat and clean look during Eidul Azha’s three holidays. The solid waste management team made adequate arrangements to lift animal waste and shift it to designated landfill sites.

One supposition is that less animals were slaughtered this year. The exact number of animals slaughtered during Eid was not available but the evidence can be found in the weighing of animal waste.

City district government Rawalpindi’s (CDGR) solid waste management lifted 13,000 tonnes of offal and animal waste from 46 union councils, which is 7,000 tonnes less than last year.

“Mostly big animals were slaughtered on the occasion of Eid as reported by the 1,553 sanitary workers in the city,” said Dr Mazhar Azeem, District Officer Solid Waste Management, while talking to Dawn.

He said the official head count of animals was not possible as the Punjab government had no contract with the cattle markets.

He said that last year, the workers lifted more than 20,000 tonnes of offal and animal waste and this year, they lifted approximately 13,000 tonnes.

He said that all animal waste had been lifted from different parts of the city and dumped in a landfill site in Losar.

He said that total 1,553 sanitary workers and 100 vehicles took part in the cleanliness operations during Eidul Azha.

He said that he had received many complaints which were addressed as soon as possible. The cleanliness operation finished after evening prayers on the third day of Eidul Azha.

When asked about the cleanliness at Jamia Masjid Road, where heaps of animal skins and hides were seen, he said that animal skins were collected by businessmen as it was the hub for such activity during Eid.

“The area would be cleared during the next two days, when businessmen dispatch the animal skins to factories in Lahore, Faisalabad and other cities,” he assured.

The residents of the garrison city expressed satisfaction over the sanitation condition during Eid days and asked the government to make such arrangements throughout the year for a better environment.

Israr Ahmed, a resident of Mohanpura, said that he had observed the roadsides to be clean, despite many animals slaughtered during Eid days. “The credit goes to the people who called the sanitary workers and gave them meat for lifting waste in front of their doors,” he said.

Muhammad Jameel, a resident of Nayya Mohallah, said that the sanitary workers lifted the waste from the roadsides. “If the sanitation departments worked like this whole year round, then there would be no untidiness in the city,” he said.