SWABI: Slaughtering animals along roads in Topi, Razar and Chota Lahor tehsils here is not only causing health hazards but also inconveniencing the residents.

This is because there is only a single slaughterhouse in the district headquarters, Swabi. The irony is that neither the district administration nor the local government representatives take interest in providing such a facility in other areas, locals complained.

The butchers admitted that slaughtering animals on the roadside was polluting the environment.

It was observed that the offal of the slaughtered animals is left on the roadside, which posed a grave health hazard.

“The butchers throw away offal near the markets without thinking about the health risks. Animals such as rats, cats and dogs feed on the waste and make the disposal site a breeding ground for numerous diseases,” says Shoaib Khan of Topi city, complaining that there was no waste management mechanism in place in the district. The foul smell pollutes the air, he said.

The locals alleged that the butchers, the officials concerned and people were negligent in keeping their environs clean. “There are no dumping sites in any area across the district,” Gul Bahar Khan of Maneri Bala lamented.

Ahmad Ali of Swabi city said the butchers should be educated to discard the animal waste in a well-organised manner. The government should also do its part and implement the waste management procedures, he added.

Qaisar Khan of Maneri Bala said bloody roads and offal with flies hovering around was not only a disgusting sight but extremely hazardous.

When contacted, district administration officials said the butchers would not be allowed to pollute the environment. The government would take action against those who failed to follow the given instructions, he added.

ADMISSION CAMPAIGN: The public sector schools have started campaign in the district to enroll new students, said teachers.

The campaign would continue till end of the current month. The schools would reopen on Monday after the spring holidays.

Teachers of primary schools said they would educate the parents that they should send their daughters and sons to public sector schools due to their improved environment.

They said there had been visible change in public sector schools’ enrolment since the teachers started campaign four years ago.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2018