NO EYESORE THANKS TO SLAUGHTERHOUSES

MUSCAT: Unlike the past, most garbage bins across the capital during Eid al Adha this year were found to be without much animal waste.

Despite repeated pleas by the authorities, dumped animal waste used to be an eyesore during the Eid holidays leaving sanitary workers to toil round the clock for their removal.

The reason, pointed out an official at the health department at Muscat Municipality, is “animal sacrifices were limited to the designated abattoirs and so were the waste disposal”.

Be’ah, the state-owned Oman Environmental Services Holding Company, in association with the municipality, through video messages, reiterated on the need to dispose of animal and other waste properly in the designated garbage bins.

“Unlike in the past, people did not sacrifice animals at homes. Normally, these days used to be exhausting for us as people would throw the waste openly in the bins”, said a sanitary worker.

Still, he said that there were some stray incidents in some of the localities in Ruwi where people slaughtered goats and sheep.

When pointed out, the official said that this amounts to violations in different fronts including safe Eid al Adha practices.

“Throwing garbage all over the place will not only dirty our surroundings and pollute the environment, but also make it unhygienic which is dangerous especially at this time of coronavirus”, he said.

The official said that cases of slaughtering of animals illegally by some residents and disposal of the waste at undesignated places have come to the notice.

“Illegal slaughtering not only poses risk to public health but the waste of animals dumped in the open pollutes the environment”, he said, adding, “action will be taken against violators in accordance with the law”.

Muscat municipality represented by the Muttrah Directorate is making all efforts to clean various areas where waste is disposed.

“Despite the intensified awareness programmes to educate the public on illegal slaughtering, there are many who continue to entertain these butchers during the Eid”.

In a statement issued online, the municipality called on everyone to dispose of waste in designated areas and avoid littering.

“People must dispose of waste in areas designated and don’t throw in public places. We call everyone’s support for this”, a statement from the municipality said.