LAHORE: For the safe collection and disposal of the offal of sacrificial animals on Eidul Azha, the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) on Tuesday started distributing around 1.5 million biodegradable plastic bags among the people free of cost.

The distribution of bags started at the 13 sacrificial animal sale points in the city where animal buyers received the bags from the LWMC teams. The distribution of bags (one for the offal of goats, etc and another for the offal of animals would continue till the last day of Eid.

“The 1.5 million bags include one million and a half million for small and big animals’ offal,” said Khwaja Ahmad Hassan, LWMC chairman, at a press conference here on Tuesday.

He said in order to ensure proper the disposal of waste and keep the city clean, all the operations staff of LWMC would remain on board during Eid days to provide efficient cleaning services to the citizens of Lahore.

The standard cleanliness activities, he said, would mainly focus on prompt collection, storage, transportation and disposal of animal waste during all three days of Eid.

The Eid cleanliness operation is also covering 13 animal sale points by carrying out cleanliness-related jobs there. In order to manage animal waste, the waste bags would be made available free of cost at 280 UC camps, zonal offices, major mosques and Eid congregation spots (Eidgahs).

The LWMC will also hire pickups two days before Eid for garbage bag distribution and waste collection. More than 3,500 pickups will be hired for all of Eidul Azha operations. These pickups will be deployed in all UCs of Lahore for the collection of animal waste.

Moreover, the LWMC will also ensure the cleanliness of 190 Ijtamai Qurban Gahs (temporary slaughterhouses) by providing additional resources, such as pickups, containers, trolleys, etc. In addition to containers, 110 temporary waste storage points and five dumping sites (Lakhodair, Mehmood Booti, Sundar, Tibba and Saggian) for animal waste will also be established.

The LWMC will also collect animal waste from all private housing societies by establishing special collection points. The administration of private societies will be responsible for the collection of waste within their premises whereas the LWMC will collect and transport waste from five temporary designated points only. Similarly, special cleanliness arrangements will be ensured near and around Eidgahs and mosques.

Religious clerics would sensitize the public during Friday and Eid sermons to cooperate with the LWMC staff in making the cleanliness operation successful. LWMC will also establish Eid camps in each union council of Lahore.

A control room will be established in LWMC head office, with a special focus to coordinate collective operational activities and complaint resolution during Eid days.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2022