KARACHI: Citizens’ negligence, poor performance by civic authorities and the unchecked illegal trade in animal offal disposal left many parts of the city littered with heaps of waste and engulfed in foul odour during the three days of Eidul Azha, further aggravating the sanitation crisis in a city already burdened by chronic cleanliness issues.

Although the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) continued offal collection operations on most major roads and in prominent areas of the city throughout the three days of Eid, the authority failed to demonstrate effective performance in many localities.

Several residential areas of Karachi remained engulfed in severe filth even after the three days of Eid had passed, while large parts of the city continued to suffer from an intense stench from Wednesday morning until Friday night, with fears that the unpleasant situation would persist further.

In several areas, extreme heat and humidity caused fat from rotting animal offal to melt and spread across roads and streets, making it difficult for residents of the affected neighbourhoods to remain even inside their homes due to the unbearable stench and unhygienic conditions.

Opposition parties slam PPP govt, civic bodies for failing to ensure cleanliness; Mayor Wahab praises SSWMB officials for ‘performing exceptionally well’

Amid growing complaints from residents, political parties also criticised the authorities for their handling of cleanliness operations across Karachi.

Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman strongly criticised the Pakistan Peoples Party-led Sindh government over what he described as “a dangerous combination of corruption and incompetence” in the province, alleging that Karachi residents were still forced to pay out of pocket for basic garbage collection despite the SSWMB’s Rs43 billion budget.

Speaking to media representatives after visiting a collective sacrifice centre established by the JI and the Alkhidmat Foundation at Jamia Masjid Quba in Federal B. Area’s Gulberg locality, he said the government’s arrangements for disposal of sacrificial waste during Eidul Azha were “extremely slow and inadequate”. He said that JI-administered towns in Karachi had arranged sanitation and waste disposal measures on a self-help basis to facilitate residents during the Eid holidays.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), in a statement issued from the party’s Bahadurabad headquarters, said that citizens in Karachi are facing severe difficulties due to poor sanitation arrangements during Eid.

He said that the Sindh government and relevant municipal institutions totally failed to make effective arrangements for the collection of animal waste and cleanliness during Eidul Azha. The process of removing offal across Karachi remains slow, while major roads, link roads, streets, neighbourhoods, and residential areas are reeking of stench and pollution.

“Animal wastes are still lying unattended in several areas including Landhi, Korangi, Malir, Shah Faisal Colony, Old City Area, Baldia, Keamari, Orangi, Liaquatabad, Federal B Area, North Nazimabad, North Karachi and Surjani Town while the sanitation system has become paralysed,” he added.

Mayor expresses satisfaction over cleanliness

Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab visited various districts and towns of the city during the three days of Eidul Azha to review the cleanliness operation.

A statement issued here on Friday said the mayor expressed satisfaction over the arrangements and directed officials to further accelerate and strengthen the operation. “Due to the effective local government system in the city, elected representatives and municipal leadership are actively playing their role in their respective areas,” he said.

“I stayed on the streets alongside SSWMB teams until the operation of lifting offal was fully completed. This year the staff of the SSWMB has performed exceptionally well and that the overall situation in the city remained completely under control,” he said.

SSWMB lifts over 140,000 tonnes of animal waste

A statement issued by the SSWMB said that Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab and the board’s Managing Director Tariq Ali Nizamani visited all districts of the city during Eidul Azha to review offal collection operations and other sanitation arrangements.

“They personally monitored the transfer of animal waste from neighbourhoods and collection points to landfill sites, including during the Bohra community’s Eid celebrations spanning four days. They also supervised lime sprinkling, disinfectant spraying, fumigation, and other cleanliness measures,” added the statement.

According to the SSWMB, a total of more than 142,816 tonnes of animal waste and garbage were buried at landfill sites and trenches at the Sharafi GTS during the Eidul Azha operation. This included 64,122 tonnes of animal offal and 78,694 tonnes of garbage and animal remains transported to landfill sites.

“A total of nine trenches were prepared at landfill sites and Sharafi GTS for the disposal of offal, while 99 collection points were established across the city for waste collection,” it said, adding that major roads in the city were washed with rose water to eliminate foul smell and pollution, while disinfectant spraying, lime sprinkling, and fumigation operations also continued.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2026