RAWALPINDI: As many as 6,000 tons of entrails and offal were removed from Rawalpindi in first two days of Eidul Azha while the city’s sanitation situation was better than the cantonment areas.

On the third day of Eid, all the temporary transfer stations will be wrapped up after washing all slaughtering sites properly and sprinkling lime. More than 3,000 sanitation workers are taking part in the cleanliness operation in shifts, which was initiated one day before Eid.

Deputy Commissioner Ali Randhawa spent the first day of Eid on the streets and roads to supervise the cleanliness operation.

Provincial Minister for Informal Education Rashid Hafeez, Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) Managing Director Awais Manzoor Tarrar also accompanied the deputy commissioner.

They also distributed plastic bags among the residents to fill them with offal and entrails for handing over to sanitation staff.

Talking to Dawn, Deputy Commissioner Ali Randhawa said the sanitation staff had transferred 6,000 tons of animal waste from city to Losar landfill site where it had been dumped scientifically.

“RWMC lifts 900 tons of waste from the district as matter of routine but during first two days of Eid, it removed more than 6,000 tons of animal waste and the operation will continue till Wednesday (today) evening,” he said.

He said teams, deployed at 13 collective slaughter sites and dumping stations, remained active round the clock. “Three complaint camps have been established at three locations from where citizens can also collect waste bags and leaflets having complaint numbers.

During Eid days, he said, helpline numbers remained active 24/7 and the complaints were immediately resolved.

Earlier, RWMC Managing Director Awais Manzoor Tarrar briefed deputy commissioner about the waste lifting plan and said that the Eid holidays of the RWMC staff had been cancelled and they remained present in the field and the offices to accomplish their task.

On the other hand, the sanitation situation in cantonment areas was opposite where animal wastes were not lifted properly and the area gave foul smell.

In some areas, people lodged complaints with the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board about the bad sanitation condition during first two days of Eid.

The sites where temporary cattle markets set up in cantonment areas were presenting an ugly look. The Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonment boards claimed that sanitation workers had also launched cleanliness operations in their respective areas but the offal dumped on the roadside spoke volumes of the ill-planning of the two cantonments.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2019