Eid-ul-Adha, one of the most salient religious festivals of Muslims, is knocking at the door. It is the time to remember and observe the true spirit of sacrifice that this occasion stands for. This year, in Bangladesh, we will celebrate the occasion on 12th August.
Every year, during this occasion, the country faces terrible environmental pollution. Moreover, this year the festival is going to be celebrated amid the grip of dengue outbreak. If there is consistent rain, then hay, a staple food for cattle, which have begun to arrive in their thousands for Eid-ul-Adha, could potentially pose a new level of threat for the expansion of the dengue outbreak. But if the cattle grounds can be kept clean by actively seeking out breeding grounds of the Aedes mosquito, the city can be made safe.
We must consider streets as our homes while performing the sacrificial ritual
We are happy to note that the government has fixed 2,941 venues in 12 city corporations of the country for slaughtering sacrificial animals during Eid-ul-Adha, to facilitate fast and efficient disposal of blood and waste. Reportedly, nearly three lakh cattle will be sacrificed in the city this Eid-ul-Adha. Therefore, we call the city dwellers to sacrifice their animals in the designated places, so that the wastes can be easily removed. As conscious citizens, we must consider streets as our homes while performing the sacrificial ritual.
Every year during Eid-ul-Adha, a huge amount of waste is produced from sacrificial animals under city corporations which take a long time to dispose the waste. Traditionally, these sacrifices have always been made on private property or on public roads — a practice which resulted in the city being inundated by an aftermath most unsightly. This practice not only serves to tarnish the city’s image, but also it is unhygienic and unsanitary. The blood and entrails clog up the drains, and leave city-dwellers with a stench that lasts for days. Therefore, city corporation authorities should devise a plan and take precautionary measures to clean the waste as soon as possible. If waste is not cleaned properly and timely, it may create the risk of a fresh outbreak of dengue.