KARACHI: Mayor Wasim Akhtar on Thursday asked citizens to lodge complaints on 1339 on the Citizens’ Complaints Information Centre about non-lifting of sacrificial animals’ offal from their respective areas.

He said that teams of District Municipal Corporations concerned would be sent to lift the offal of animals and keep the environment clean so that people could perform this religious obligation without any difficulty. He said this while presiding over a meeting to review measures for Eidul Azha.

Relevant officials were present in the meeting.

The mayor directed that DMCs conduct fumigation at collection points on each day of Eidul Azha, adding that each district would be given three vehicles, spray and staff for the purpose. “Prompt action should be taken on complaints lodged with the Citizens’ Complaints Information Centre,” he said.

Mr Akhtar requested citizens to show responsibility and keep their streets and roads clean by dumping offal only at fixed places.

“It is necessary to ensure cleanliness and follow standard operating procedures in the wake of coronavirus and other diseases,” he added. The mayor also directed district administrations to ensure cleanliness and lift the sacrificial animals’ offal without any delay as the situation might become worse in case of rain.

“Effective mechanism should be devised for lifting and disposal of animals’ remains so that cleanliness could be maintained,” he said. He also passed the directives for completing cleanliness and fumigation around mosques, Imambargahs, Eidgahs by Friday. He was of the view that ulema should be requested to ask the people to follow SOPs in the wake of Covid-19.

“Like previous years, hundreds of thousands of animals would be sacrificed across Karachi this year too and this huge number demands us to make similar arrangements for the offal disposal,” he added.

Mr Akhtar asked the district administrations to take full advantage of their experience of last few years to help citizens. “This is a city of all of us and we can keep it clean and disinfected with joint efforts. I hope that all departments concerned would play their role and facilitate in collective efforts,” he said.

He once again appealed to the citizens not to throw the animals’ offal in drains and stop anyone who does so as it would choke drains and ultimately residents of the city would suffer.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2020