Dhaka races to clean up roads that ran red with blood, waste

The streets had turned into rivulets of blood after rain waters absorbed the bloody effluent from animal sacrifices on the Eid day.

Officials say all the wastes will be cleaning away from the streets and neighbourhoods within the 48-hour deadline set on Tuesday for the clean-up operation.

Streets and places used to sacrifice the animals on the Eid day in many areas in Dhaka were clear of the bloody water and animal waste on Wednesday.

Wastes, however, were seen at some cattle markets at Gopibagh and Shahjahanpur around noon. But city corporation cleaners were working in full throttle to remove them.

But residents of Shahjahanpur Railway Colony alleged that the residential area was filled with tens of cattle huddled in temporary cattle markets without official permission.

Manure, feed and wastes were seen in front of most of the buildings in the colony in the afternoon.

But no wastes were to be seen on the DIT Road at Rampura and on the streets in Khilgaon, Kurhil, Norda and Jagannathpur areas.

Most of the animal wastes were seen dumped in the roadside dustbins.

The streets in Farmgate, Khamarbarhi, Shyamali, Gulshan, Banani and Baridhara areas were also cleaned up by Wednesday afternoon.

But locals at Uttara Badda complained that no cleaners had come to remove the wastes on the Khanbagh Mosque lane.

Wastes were seen heaped in front of some buildings on the lane and the foul odour drifted along despite bleaching powder applied on them.

Maruf Hossai, one of the building’s security guards, alleged that city corporation cleaners had come but did not remove the wastes.

“Our building owner had asked them to clean the garbage. But they said they won’t unless they are paid. They said it wasn’t their job!”

A Dhaka North City Corporation official said, in the last 24 hours until Wednesday afternoon, 5,000 tonnes of wastes were removed from the areas that they administer.

He said they did not find any mismanagement in waste disposals during inspections at Badda, Rampura, Moghbazar, Razabazar, Mohammadpur and Gabtoli.

Another official of Dhaka South City Corporation said they had cleared around 9,000 tonnes of wastes until Wednesday evening.

He said animals sacrificed during this Eid had produced around 12,000 tonnes of wastes. “But most of them has been cleared up.”

The official said they hoped to clean up the rest by Wednesday night.

Source: Bd news24