As Dhaka prepares for Eid-ul-Adha, we once again must face what has become a recurring challenge: Managing the immense volume of waste generated by the traditional sacrifice of animals. This year, the task looks to be even more urgent, with the military clarifying that it will not assist in waste management or any subsequent mosquito control.
While this may appear to be cause for alarm, the responsibility for ensuring we have a clean and hygienic Eid has and continues to rest squarely on the city’s two municipal authorities -- Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) -- and, equally importantly, on the citizens themselves.
While Dhaka’s city corporations appear confident that they are equipped for the job, this needs to be seen to be believed. We still have some time remaining, and we are hopeful that city corporations are fully engaged in ensuring that there is minimal mess.
Furthermore, we have seen in previous years that even the best-laid plans can falter without public cooperation. The sheer scale of sacrifice can overwhelm any system if residents do not follow guidelines.
Civic duty therefore will be of utmost importance. Slaughtering animals in streets or alleys disrupts cleanup efforts and endangers community health, and is a practive we must move away from.
This means that residents must use designated areas for animal sacrifice, which are equipped to handle waste and prevent public health hazards.
This Eid offers Dhaka an opportunity to demonstrate that a cleaner city is not just a municipal obligation but a collective responsibility. The city corporations must lead and prepare accordingly, but the people must also follow. Only together can we ensure that the spirit of Eid is not marred by the mess left behind.
