Saeed Ghani at odds with Mayor Karachi over offal collection

KARACHI: Residents of Karachi are likely to face trouble during Eid-ul-Azha in the collection and disposal of offal of sacrificial animals.

Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar has outright refused and said that is not the responsibility of the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) to collect and dispose the offal, but rather the Solid Waste Management Board (SWMB) which is under control of the government of Sindh.

The SWMB will be responsible for the collection of offal in Karachi East, South, West and Malir district. The district chairman is responsible in central and Korangi district.

Authorities have dug a ditch fifty kilometres outside the city to dispose the offal. However, there are also inadequate facilities for the disposal of offal in Jam Chakro, Gondpass and Orangi Town’s Hawa Goth.

A ban has been imposed in digging trenches along the Lyari and Malir River and the Mewashah graveyard. Previously the trenches were dug in every district to dispose the offal. However, it would be an arduous task to transport the offal to other district for distribution.

However, newly-elected Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani strongly criticised Mayor Karachi for not taking the responsibility, and said the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) should not create further problems if it does not want to solve them.

“Hundreds of thousands of animals are sacrificed in Karachi so we will face problems. However, we have reservations over the statements of Mayor Karachi,” he said.

He said that it is habitual for MQM to create problems, and urged them not to create further troubles.

“MQM should not resort to such tactics. If MQM cannot solve problems then it should not create them either,” he added.

It may be mentioned that there have been conflicts between the local bodies and the provincial government over the distribution of resources and responsibilities and authority on local institutions.