RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) launched a countrywide operation during Eidul Azha, urging people to pack leftovers of sacrificial animals in garbage bags and bury them at designated spots, away from the vicinity of airports.

The campaign was launched along all airports of the country including Gwadar, Quetta, Skardu, Chitral, Multan, Faisalabad and Sukkur.

CAA deployed special squads around airports to clean up in case any leftovers were found, along with snipers to shoot down birds, in order to avoid any untoward incident. Local administrations were also asked to ensure cleanliness around airports.

Islamabad International Airport (IIA) authorities had earlier launched a rigorous campaign to control bird gatherings, around the premises of the airport. Pamphlets carrying information about the hazards of animal remains were distributed among residents of nearby villages, along with garbage bags.

Meetings were held in the airport manager and Attock deputy commissioner’s office in this regard; they were asked to provide human and mechanical support for collection of animal remains after Eid.

RWMC lifts 9,000 tons of animals waste

Meanwhile, Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) has shifted more than 9,000 tons of offal and animal waste from Rawalpindi district to landfill site at Losar near Adiala village in three days of Eidul Azha.

After completing the Eid cleanliness operation on Monday evening, RWMC Managing Director Awais Manzoor Tarrar told Dawn that 722 tons lifted from Rawalpindi city and Murree, 210 ton from Kahuta, 263tons from Taxila, 209 tons from Kallar Syedan, 251 tons from Gujar Khan, 262 tons from private housing societies and 5 tons from adjoining areas, he said.

He said that 412 vehicles shifted the animal waste from 51 transfer stations established at various locations in Rawalpindi and Murree. He said area around the Noor Khan Airbase was given special focus so that the waste should not be dumped along the runway.

“We distributed waste bags among the people to put the animal waste and handed over to the sanitary workers to shift outside the city. Total 30 collection and transfer points had been set up in the garrison city,” he said.

“At landfill site, the trenches had been dug to dump the animal waste as per standard operating procedures issued by the Punjab government and environment agencies,” he said.

He said 3,557 workers took part in cleanliness operations. As many as six complaint camps were installed one day before and during Eid Days in Rawalpindi and Murree.

He said that on Monday, the last day of eid operation, the collection points and city streets had been sprayed with anti-germs medicines, lime and rose water to avoid any foul smell.

Meanwhile, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) lifted 4,000 tons of animal waste from the cantonment areas during three days of Eidul Azha.

RCB spokesman Qaiser Mehmood told Dawn that as many as 730 sanitary workers took part in the cleanliness drive and shifted the animal waste from residential areas to Landfill site at Chakri Road via vehicles.

He said during three days, as many as 830 complaints had been received but all the problems of the residents had been solved within few hours.

Additional Cantonment Executive Officer Faisal Munir Wattoo and Cantonment Public Health Officer Waris Bhatti on Monday visited the different areas to check whether the cleanliness operation was conducted successfully or not.

Mr Wattoo expressed satisfaction over the work done by the sanitary workers and appreciated them. He also checked the complaints received by the RCB during three days.

Attock

The official of municipal committee Attock along with six different tehsils has disposed of 9,000 tons of offal and other remains of sacrificial animals during three days of eid across the district.

This was stated by Deputy Commissioner Ali Annan Qammar while talking to newsmen during a luncheon arranged for the officials of sanitation staff who performed their duties during Eid holidays.

“Offal and other animal wastes were dumped in trenches to prevent any hazard to the environment,” he added.

He said that the sanitation staff of all six tehsils remained on duty during the holidays to ensure cleanliness.

Responding to a question, he said that the lunch was arranged for the sanitation staff as token of appreciation of their services for three days despite Eid holidays. A similar lunch was also arranged at by the Hazro tehsil administration.

Moreover, Deputy Commissioner Ali Annan Qammar also visited Fatehjang and Jand and examined the dumping points, reviewed the performance of sanitation workers and appreciated their efforts for cleaning the city during the Eid holidays. — Additional reporting by Amjad Iqbal

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2020