Both the city corporations of Dhaka have taken steps to clean wastes from sacrificial animals within 48 hours during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha, said officials.
Officials of the city corporations said they would distribute around one lakh polythene bags among the city dwellers to manage about 32,000 to 34,500 tonnes of wastes which would be generated on the Eid day and the following two days.
At a press conference on Wednesday at the Dhaka North City Corporation head office, chief waste management officer Bipan Kumar Saha said during Eid about 1.75 lakh cattle would be sacrificed in the city corporation areas.
On the Eid day and following two days, about 12,000 to 12,500 tonnes of waste from sacrificial animals would be generated this year, he estimated.
The DNCC administrator, Akhter Hossain Bhuiyan, said they were taking on the challenge of collecting all the wastes, including those in the cattle markets, in their areas within 48 hours from the Eid day.
About 3,700 workers of the corporation, 3,000 primary collection service providers and another 360 temporarily-hired workers will be in operation during Eid while about 200 vehicles would collect the wastes zone-wise.
‘We are distributing about 70,000 to 80,000 polythene bags to be bought at Tk 20 each at the 10 cattle markets under our corporation,’ said Bipan and added that they would distribute another 20,000 polythene bags for free.
The officer said they were urging people to put their waste into these bags and keep them at the designated spots of the corporation or in front of their houses.
The Akij Food and Beverage Limited sponsored the polythene bags for the two city corporations which will also distribute 50,000 leaflets and organise road show to make people aware of waste management during Eid.
The company’s executive director, Altaf Hossain, said it was important to change people’s mindset about wastes while they should manage waste as much as possible.
Dhaka South City Corporation chief waste management officer Captain SM Javed Iqbal told New Age on Tuesday that about 20,000 to 22,000 tonnes sacrificial animals’ waste would be generated during Eid in their areas.
The city corporation’s 5,200 workers and 1,500 temporarily-hired workers would clean waste, he said.
‘We have set the target of cleaning the wastes within 48 hours during and after Eid. We will distribute 20,000 polythene bags for free,’ the officer said.
The corporation would also use its 214 vehicles and 600 private vans to clean the city.
The city corporations would also cancel vacation for all officials of their respective waste management departments and spray antiseptic-mixed water and bleaching powder.
The corporations’ officials also urged the imams to make people aware about waste management.
-With New Age input
