WASTE management on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha has always remained a source for concern, especially for people of urban centres, but thanks to the meticulous plan drawn and implemented by the Punjab Government, under the directives of Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz, almost all cities and towns bore a perfect clean look due to prompt disposal of the waste.
Credit, no doubt, goes to the civic bodies of all cities and towns that launched an unprecedented operation during Eid days to keep their areas neat and clean.
Instructions for exercising greater vigilance on Eid days are routinely issued by all the provinces but media reports confirm that these were implemented in letter and spirit only in Punjab where authorities chalked out elaborate plans for speedy lifting of offal of sacrificial animals even from difficult to manage areas.
Complaint numbers of the waste management companies were widely publicized to enable citizens to report accumulation of filth during Eid days but the vigilant staff spared no efforts to earn satisfaction of the people as they successfully disposed of waste despite the challenge thrown by the rainy season.
Residents of different cities and towns said they were surprised by the efficient response and timely collection of animal waste as the streets that used to end up full of filth and smell were now found neat and clean during animal slaughtering on Eid-ul-Azha.
All this was achieved because the authorities concerned put in operation thousands of tractor trolleys, cleaning and lifting machines and trucks that worked almost round-the-clock to produce the desired results.
While appreciating the successful operation on Eid, we would urge all civic authorities to exercise similar vigilance on a regular basis for prompt and proper disposal of solid waste.
There are plans to use satellites to manage the collection, transportation and dumping of solid waste but the situation can improve a lot if supervisory staff visits different areas frequently to have first-hand knowledge of the ground situation.
