PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday claimed it collected and disposed of some 24,000 tons of remains of the sacrificial animals during the Eidul Azha cleanliness drive.

Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, the chief minister’s adviser on information, said a total of 24,939 tons of animal waste was promptly and properly disposed of across the province with an average of 693 tons of waste disposed of in each district.

In a statement, he said some 10,779 personnel participated in the campaign. He added all of the 1,289 complaints received were addressed.

He said that the large-scale cleanliness operation was completed at a remarkably low cost of Rs78.5 million with an average Rs2.5 million per district, while in some districts, the cost was negligible.

The chief minister’s adviser appreciated the efforts of all the staff involved in the campaign.

Meanwhile, a report compiled by the Performance Management and Reforms Unit (PMRU) said that the provincial government successfully conducted cleanliness drive during Eidul Azha and achieved its main objectives.

It said that 11,309 personnel and some 2,294 vehicles were deployed during the operation and that most districts (97pc) used burial as the primary waste disposal method.

The statement said that Peshawar recorded the highest amount of waste collected, totalling 10,944 tons, followed by Dera Ismail Khan with 2,900 tons, Mardan 2,635 tons and Swat 2,059 tons.

It said that four tons of remains of the sacrificial animals was collected each in Kurram, Lower Kohistan and Torghar districts.

The statement said that 4,073 staff members were assigned duties in Peshawar, followed by Swat (888) and Mardan (855), while the lowest number of staff with only four persons was deployed in North Waziristan.

The report also highlighted that Mardan district saw the highest number of absent staff with 62 personnel absent during Eidul Azha operation followed by 22 in Peshawar. Overall, 28 districts had 100pc attendance of staff.

The report also highlighted some coverage gaps in Swat and Lower South Waziristan due to inaccessibility along with absenteeism in districts such as Mardan and Peshawar.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2025