Kulgam, June 19: Municipal Council (MC) Kulgam’s pre-Eid announcements this year urging people to practice hygienic waste disposal of sacrificial animals have yielded positive results.
The council said there was no waste dumped on roadsides this year. It thanked the people for their cooperation.
Ghulam Mohammad Dar, Executive Officer (EO) MC Kulgam, told Rising Kashmir that proper arrangements were made for Eid-ul-Adha, including issuing a list of drivers with contact numbers for the proper disposal of waste.
He said that the cooperation from the public was excellent and prevented environmental pollution from waste being dumped on roadsides or in open areas.
“We were highly satisfied with the preparations made for the Eid prayers and celebrations. Proper arrangements were in place regarding cleanliness and sanitation,” he said. “We also ensured proper arrangements for the disposal of hides (qurbani khaal) by allotting appropriate vehicles in each area of the town. The collected material was properly dumped at the Lirrow dumping site.”
Dar said the people also appreciated the efforts of Municipal Council Kulgam.
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer had requested the town’s residents to cooperate and refrain from throwing waste on roads.
“Our staff were on their toes throughout this period, and no complaints were received about waste being dumped in the open,” the officer said, adding that the staff ensured hopper vehicles were stationed at prime spots, making it easy for the public to dispose of waste properly, with strong public support.
Municipal authorities deploy specialised vehicles to gather animal hides and offal. Previously, animal hides had good market value and people used to donate these hides to mosques, religious schools and orphanages, as they received substantial sums from dealers. However, due to a reported decline in export value, many people began discarding hides and offal on roadsides.
Earlier, wholesale dealers, known as Kothdars, collected the hides. However, in the past three to four years, market value has decreased, leading to diminished interest from these dealers.
Due to the scarcity of hides, many residents were found disposing of them in drains, which caused blockages. This created unpleasant odours. The authorities then issued strict instructions for proper deep burial of the sacrificial waste and warned of strict action for failures.
The efforts by the municipal authorities have yielded positive results at many places across the valley, which have also been appreciated by the general public.
