Dhaka North aims to remove Eid waste within 24 hours

The Dhaka North City Corporation says it will remove all waste from the ritual sacrifice of animals on Eid day within 24 hours.

“We have taken extensive preparations for the removal of waste,” said DNCC Mayor Md Atiqul Islam.“Our target is to remove waste within 24 hours,” he said. “We are asking the people for their support on this matter. We are in the middle of a COVID pandemic and there are more Aedis mosquitos as well. Under these conditions, Dhaka residents need to be more active.”

The city corporation will provide bags for the collection of waste and other necessary materials to residents, Mayor Atiq said. The DNCC is providing 650,000 waste disposal bags, 50 tonnes of bleaching powder and 1,005 cans of 5 litres for clean-up. The bags and bleaching powder have been given out to ward councillors to distribute.

If, despite this, waste is dumped haphazardly in front of houses, authorities will take action, Atiq said.

“If waste is left carelessly in front of a house, I will take a truck full of garbage and dump it there,” the mayor said. “I do not want hundreds of thousands of people to suffer due to the actions of a few. This is a warning to all those who dirty the environment.”

Over 200,000 animals may be sacrificed during Eid in Dhaka North, the city corporation said. The city has designated 307 sites for the ritual sacrifices.

The DNCC has trained 250 imams and 250 meat processors for the ceremony. It has also attempted to warn people not to sacrifice animals on the road or next to drains.

The DNCC has assigned 11,508 cleaners, including 2,667 of its own cleaning staff, to the removal of waste.

It is also providing its own waste trucks, heavy machinery, water bowsers and hiring other vehicles through outsourcing for the removal of Eid waste and the cleaning of cattle markets. A total of 493 vehicles have been enlisted for the task of managing the waste from the day before Eid to the two days after Eid.

Eleven water bowsers will also sanitise sacrifice sites with water and disinfectant. The DNCC has formed an 11-member team to supervise waste removal activities.