LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Sunday took notice of the stagnant rainwater that has been hindering Eid ul Adha sacrifices as well as disposal of animal waste and ordered concerned authorities to immediately drain and clear the roads.
Expressing great displeasure over the accumulated rainwater in some low-lying areas of Lahore, Buzdar directed officials of the Water And Sanitation Agency (WASA) to immediately clear it, asking why no precautionary measures were taken ahead of the torrential downpours earlier today. He also sought a report over the issue.
The chief minister said Lahore's residents were facing difficulties due to the rainwater that had accumulated on major roads and streets. The ignorance of the concerned authorities was regrettable, he added.
He further underlined how the stagnant water during Eid-ul-Azha could hamper cleaning. Therefore, immediate steps should be taken to extract the rainwater from Tajpura and other neighbourhoods.
A delay in this regard is unacceptable, Buzdar stressed, adding that the process must be completed with the use of necessary machinery in the minimum possible time.
According to the WASA officials, water had stagnated in multiple localities of Lahore, including on Kashmir Road. "Water is being pumped out of some low-lying areas," they added.
The WASA officials also claimed that the rainwater would be cleared in an hour.
Earlier today, torrential rains lashed Lahore as the city celebrated the second day of Eid, making it difficult to carry out sacrifices. While the downpour stopped after a few hours, it led to a lot of challenges across the provincial capitals.
Rain in Lahore and surroundings continued from 7:30-9.30am, with the highest rainfall of 71 millimetres (mm) recorded in Tajpura.
Lahore's Lakshmi Chowk, Farrukhabad, Walled City, Allama Iqbal International Airport, Gulshan-e-Ravi, and Nishtar Town received 69 millimetres (mm), 65mm, 63mm, 50 mm, 47 mm, and 42 mm of rainfall, respectively.
Consequently, people faced difficulties in sacrificing their animals as per the tradition on the second day of Eid-ul-Azha.
The Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) said it was facing challenges in picking up and cleaning the entrails due to the rain following sacrifices early in the morning. The heavy downpour also hampered the sanitation and cleaning system in many areas.
According to a spokesperson for the LWMC, the cleaning operation was underway uninterrupted despite the rains.
"Over 16,500 tonnes of entrails were removed from the city yesterday. So far on the second day, more than 3,000 tonnes have been removed and over 19,500 tonnes have been disposed of since yesterday," the spokesperson added.
On the other hand, the deputy inspector-general (DIG) of operations in Lahore, Ashfaq Khan, said security was on high alert at the city's entry and exits points. He also directed that the implementation of coronavirus-related standard operating procedures (SOPs) be ensured during Eid-ul-Azha.
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