Eid-ul-Azha, one of the main religious festivals of Muslims, is being celebrated today. After the Eid prayers, devout Muslims sacrificed animals according to their means, hoping for the grace of Almighty Allah.

The slaughter of sacrificial animals creates extra waste. Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) take various steps every year to remove it quickly, and this year too the two city corporations have been removing waste under special arrangements from the afternoon of the sacrifice day.

In several areas of Dhaka South, waste was seen lying here and there on the roads of some wards and had not been removed by the afternoon, though most of the waste had been cleared in some wards. In Mirpur and several other areas of Dhaka North, there was less waste on the roads than before. All the waste had been removed in some wards, and the city corporation was working to clear the rest.

DNCC public relations officer Maqbul Hossain said 80 per cent of the sacrificial waste had been removed. Wards 6, 13, 19, 25, 31, 44, 45, 46, 52, 53 and 54 had been fully cleared, and the rest would be finished during the night, he said.

Earlier in the morning, DNCC Mayor Md Atiqul Islam asked everyone to cooperate. "I request everyone, I request the people of Dhaka, to help us. Please keep your waste at designated places. Our cleaners are already out. If we get the public's cooperation, I hope we will be able to remove all the waste very soon," he said.

Later, visiting the Shaheenbagh area of the capital, Mayor Atiqul Islam saw heaps of waste by the roadside and ordered quick action.

In Shonir Akhra, Donia and several other areas of Dhaka South, most of the waste was seen lying on the road. Many who did not get bags from the city corporation had dumped waste anywhere, causing a stench. Although the markets had closed, their waste was still scattered around, causing suffering to ordinary people.

Those responsible have, however, started clearing waste in Dhaka South. The DSCC has opened a control room for post-sacrifice waste removal, staffed in shifts by the heads of its departments and officers and employees of all departments.

The authority asked residents of the South City Corporation area to report information on waste removal to the control room, at 01709900888 and 02223386014. The corporation said quick action would be taken on any complaint from citizens about the removal of sacrificial waste.

DSCC assistant health officer Dr Sadat told Jagonews: "We are working specially on waste removal. Work began in the afternoon. We won't need until 10pm; we will clean everything by 8pm. Our target is to remove the waste within 24 hours, but we will finish the main work tonight. We have already cleaned all the waste at the Shahjahanpur market."

Earlier in the morning, DSCC Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh said: "I request everyone that we make our sacrifices in an orderly and hygienic way. Then the two mayors together will start work at 2pm to remove all the waste and keep Dhaka city clean."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.