FOR Muslims, Eidul Azha is an occasion for sombre reflection on one’s many privileges, marked by a ritual sacrifice in God’s name. Unfortunately, as with so many other sacred observances, people here tend to get too caught up in the performative aspects and forget that their faith also has other important teachings, such as cleanliness, that need to be followed with consistency. While one cannot doubt the zeal and enthusiasm with which many Pakistanis participate in Eidul Azha rituals — planning and saving for weeks, sometimes months — it is worth considering why very little of that preparation seems to go into the other important aspect of sacrifice: what to do with the remains of the animal once all religious obligations have been fulfilled.

Clearly, all of us have a role to play. Even without Eid, waste management is a task that our civic authorities tend to struggle with. On Eidul Azha, what capacities they do have tend to be quickly overwhelmed as they race to dispose of the heaps of offal generated as by millions of sacrifices. Citizens must play a responsible role in this regard by arranging for the remains of their sacrifices to be picked up by waste management teams. If local authorities have notified designated points where offal can be deposited for easy pick-up and transportation to a disposal zone, these should be used diligently. The more conscientious citizens should urge others around them, in neighbourhoods and among relatives, to follow suit. Improperly dumped animal waste is not only offensive to the senses, it is a significant biohazard, especially when the weather is as hot and humid as it is now across the country. People who reside around airports need to be especially careful, as dumping animal remains too close to a landing strip can create a significant safety hazard for aircraft, which face a heightened risk of bird strikes as flocks of scavenging birds converge on carrion. Both citizens and the authorities need to work together to keep things sanitary and safe as festivities get underway.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2022