Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) has launched a massive operation to remove sacrificial animal waste across the port city, aiming to complete the clean-up by 8:00pm today.
The drive officially began at 2:00pm from the Secondary Transfer Station area in Kazir Dewri, although sanitation workers had already started clearing waste from streets and alleys earlier in the day.
CCC authorities said the city’s 41 wards had been divided into two operational zones -- north and south -- to speed up the process.
According to Pranab Kumar Sharma, CCC’s deputy chief conservancy officer, a fleet of 379 vehicles, including dump trucks and pay loaders, as well as around 400 vans, have been deployed alongside thousands of sanitation workers.
Waste collected from 22 wards in the north-south zone is being transported to the Arefin Nagar dumping ground, while waste from the remaining 19 wards in the Patenga-Bandar area is being taken to the Halishahar dumping ground.
Correspondents visiting several parts of the city saw conservancy workers, supervisors and zone officers coordinating the clean-up effort. Many residents were also seen washing away blood and spraying bleaching powder around their neighbourhoods.
CCC Mayor Shahadat Hossain announced incentives for sanitation teams, saying the three wards that complete waste removal most efficiently would receive prizes. He added that food arrangements had been made for field workers.
The mayor said awareness campaigns had been carried out before Eid-ul-Azha, urging residents to slaughter animals at designated locations and dispose of waste in polythene bags provided by the corporation.
During a visit to Bakalia, he warned that improperly discarded waste could spread disease and said bleaching powder had been supplied to all wards.
He also described the management of raw hides as one of the biggest challenges during Eid, saying CCC had coordinated with traders, warehouse owners and government agencies to prevent environmental hazards.
The mayor said he was confident the city would be cleared of waste within the stipulated timeframe with continued public cooperation.
