JEDDAH, 7 March 2003 — Makkah municipality is still grappling with the problem of sacrificial cattle being left to rot after pilgrims complete their religious duty by performing the annual Haj.
The enormity of the number of cattle sacrificed every year is mindboggling, and the dynamics of their orderly disposal are a nightmare to any civic body.
The municipality takes stern action against violators, especially those who do not dispose of cattle remains in a hygienic manner.
However, the municipality has also admitted that, due to the large numbers of cattle involved, many violations still exist. “But things are getting better with each passing year, especially considering the development and expansion of slaughter houses,” Mahdi Bahader, an official at the municipality, told Arab News.
Animal remains are a major concern for Makkah residents at the end of each Haj season. Hundreds of carcasses are dumped in certain areas of the holy city, causing widespread stench and general pollution which can trigger a major health hazard.
This Haj season, pilgrims sacrificed more than 670,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and cows, resulting in 10,000 tons in remains. Some 4,000 tons were recycled to make oils and fertilizers, while the remaining 6,000 tons was left to be destroyed.
Bahader told Arab News that the municipality handles sacrificial meat in such a way as to prevent what is left over being discarded in residential areas.
“All the animal remains should be buried in the Al-Moasem area,” he said.
“We have two kinds of slaughter houses, one of which is run by the Islamic Development Bank. The municipality is responsible for six private slaughter houses,” he said. “We supervise everything from diagnosing the cattle, feeding them, the slaughtering process and the entire purification process,” he added.
Bahader said the purification process is a major priority in all contracts the municipality signs with companies.
“We have contracts worth millions of riyals for the six slaughter houses. We specify all the purification details and the cleaning process in each contract. The supervision units, with representatives from General Security, the municipality and the National Guard, make sure there is no pilferage.”
