LG minister warns of strict action over negligence in waste disposal

The newly appointed Sindh local government minister, Saeed Ghani, warned on Tuesday that the relevant municipal officials would be taken to task strictly over showing dereliction of duty regarding the safe disposal of offal and other remains of sacrificial animals in Karachi during Eidul Azha.

He stated this while chairing a meeting to review arrangements for sanitation in the city. The meeting was attended by officials of the Local Government Department, the managing director of the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board, the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, municipal commissioners and officials of district municipal corporations in the city.

In his introductory address to the officials concerned, Ghani said no negligence would be tolerated regarding the vital job of timely disposal of offal of the sacrificial animals on the occasion of Eidul Azha.

He said that municipal officials who were supposed to do this work should give 100 percent performance. He said offal and other remains of sacrificial animals should be quickly taken only to the designated landfill sites in Karachi.

He said municipal officials who discharged their duties with efficiency would continue serving on their current official posts. The LG minister added that the officials concerned should fully realise their duties and fulfil them while being mindful of hardships of the masses.

He said strict action would be taken against municipal officials against whom public complaints would be filed. Talking to The News, Ghani said an action plan had been made for waste disposal work in the province, but owing to a shortage of time, he had only convened a meeting of the relevant officials of Karachi to give them the necessary directions.

He said that earlier it had been the practice that the relevant municipal agencies disposed of the waste of sacrificial animals within the city limits, but now due care would be taken to transport and bury it at the designated landfill sites in view of the directions of the water commission working in Sindh.

He said that except the two districts of Korangi and Central, offal and other waste disposal work in the rest of the city during the Eid festival would be carried out by the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board in coordination with the relevant district municipal corporations in the city. He noted that the board had the necessary budget to carry out the waste disposal work in the city.

Fasahat Mohiuddin adds: Minister for Local Government Saeed Ghani issued orders to the KMC and all the six DMCs of Karachi to make arrangements to lift offal of sacrificial animals during the three days of Eidul Azha.

Referring to Mayor Wasim Akhtar, he said the removal of encroachments was the responsibility of the KMC and he should instruct his staff to remove encroachments. He also directed the district administration not to allow illegal cattle markets in the city as they caused a heavy traffic mess.

He also instructed the DMCs’ chairmen to carry out fumigation and limestone sprays in the city. Ghani issued special instructions that cleanliness in areas adjacent to and around the Eidgahs be ensured so that people offering prayers on this happy occasion did not face any problem.

He said he had just taken the charge of office as minister and would look into the performance of all local government departments.