The two city corporations in Dhaka removed more than 54,000 tonnes of sacrificial animal and other wastes in the last three days following Eid-ul-Azha.
The authorities intensified cleanup operations across the city amid public concerns over waste accumulation in some areas.
Officials said the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) jointly removed around 54,430 tonnes of waste between Eid day and the third day of the festival.
Of the total, DSCC disposed of 36,086 tonnes at the Matuail landfill, while DNCC removed about 18,344 tonnes from the area under its jurisdiction.
The developments came as two regional officials of the city corporations were suspended over alleged negligence in waste management in parts of the capital where sacrificial waste remained uncleared on Eid day.
Speaking at a press briefing on Saturday, DNCC Administrator Mohammad Shafiqul Islam Khan said the corporation had removed 3,553 tonnes of sacrificial animal waste by 6:00pm on the third day of Eid under its 72-hour integrated waste management plan.
"With the cooperation of citizens, journalists, and DNCC officials and employees, we have been able to remove almost all sacrificial animal waste from the northern part of the city," he said.
He said four of the 10 temporary cattle markets set up under DNCC had already been completely cleaned, while cleanup at the remaining six was progressing rapidly.
The DNCC administrator also said sacrificial activities were still continuing in different parts of the city, and waste removal operations would continue regardless of the volume of waste generated.
According to DNCC data, the corporation removed 8,076 tonnes of waste through 1,882 trips on May 28, followed by 6,714 tonnes through 1,583 trips on May 29.
By 10:00pm on May 30, another 4,054 tonnes had been transported on 898 trips.
Khan said 752 vehicles were deployed for waste management operations.
Although a few vehicles experienced temporary mechanical failures, alternative arrangements ensured uninterrupted services, he added.
He said efforts to keep the northern part of the capital clean and green had continued through the coordinated initiatives involving heads of different DNCC departments, officials, and employees since he assumed office.
Those efforts would continue in the future, he said.
In response to another question, the administrator said a 48-hour special cleanliness drive would begin on Sunday morning after the completion of the 72-hour plan.
A committee led by the DNCC chief health officer would implement the programme, he added.
Meanwhile, at a separate briefing at Nagar Bhaban, DSCC Administrator Md Abdus Salam said the south city corporation had exceeded its waste removal target.
"The target was to remove 33,942 tonnes of waste, but we ultimately removed 36,086 tonnes during the three days after Eid," he said.
According to DSCC, 14,814 tonnes of waste were removed on the first day of Eid, 8,977 tonnes on the second day, and 12,295 tonnes on the third.
Salam said a total of 13,453 sanitation workers, including DSCC personnel and workers from the Primary Collection Service Provider (PCSP), participated in the operation.
In addition, 2,117 vehicles, including 382 special-purpose machines and equipment, were deployed for waste transportation.
He noted that DSCC removes between 3,200 and 3,500 tonnes of waste daily under normal circumstances, but the volume increases several times during Eid-ul-Azha because of animal sacrifices.
The DSCC administrator said 17,315 animals were sacrificed at 357 designated locations within the corporation's jurisdiction.
He added that cleanup operations at 11 temporary cattle markets had nearly been completed.
However, some leaseholders failed to remove waste in time, causing inconvenience to residents.
As a result, DSCC had decided to forfeit the security deposits of those leaseholders and place them on a blacklist, Salam said.
He added that stricter measures, including increasing security deposit requirements, would be introduced in the future to prevent such irregularities.
Addressing city residents, he urged them to report any uncollected waste through the designated hotline, assuring that efforts would be made to remove it within an hour.
Meanwhile, two regional executive officers of the city corporations were suspended on Friday following allegations of negligence in waste management.
They are Md Sadequr Rahman, regional executive officer of DNCC zone-5, and Kazi Saleh Mustanzir, regional executive officer of DSCC zone-1.
The action followed reports of uncollected sacrificial waste and accumulated garbage in several areas, including Hatirpool, Elephant Road, Green Road, Farmgate, and Karwan Bazar.
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