THE bustling streets of Lahore have become a battleground for an unusual menace: the illegal sale of utensils disguised as “Sadka Meat.” These vendors strategically position themselves along busy roads, creating a daily nuisance for commuters and endangering lives.
The term “Sadka Gosht” refers to meat scraps packaged for sale by these unscrupulous vendors. These vendors set up selling points where traffic accumulates, disrupting the flow of vehicles. Buyers, often motorcyclists, suddenly pull over to purchase these packets of meat. They then toss them into the air as an offering to birds of prey.
The birds, lurking behind trees and electricity poles, dive down to grab the meat. Unfortunately, this leads to accidents as they collide with passing vehicles or crash into windshields.
The sudden appearance of birds in the path of moving vehicles causes distraction and loss of control for drivers. Despite previous efforts by the City District Government, the problem persists. The vendors continue to operate along the Canal Road, from Jallo to Thokar Niaz Baig, and around Bagh-e-Jinnah.
Not only does this practice endanger lives, but it also damages the ecosystem. Renowned environmentalist Dr. Zulfiqar Ali warns that insect-eating bird species are declining due to urbanization and the rise in scavenger birds like kites and vultures.
The Government of Punjab must strengthen law enforcement efforts to apprehend these careless vendors and impose strict penalties on those engaged in selling “sadka meat” on the pretext of piety.
As Lahore grapples with this unique challenge, concerned I urge swift action. Let us prioritize public safety, protect our environment, and prevent unnecessary accidents. The time to act is now.
M. Abid Hafeez
Director I.T
Odyssey Solutions (Pvt) Ltd.
THE busy streets of Lahore have become a battleground for an unusual menace: the sale of ‘sadqa gosht’, which comprise meat scraps packaged for sale by unscrupulous vendors. These vendors set up selling points where traffic accumulates, disrupting the flow of vehicles. Buyers, often motorcyclists, suddenly pull over to purchase these packets of meat. They then toss them into the air as an offering to birds of prey. The birds, lurking behind trees and electricity poles, dive down to grab the meat. This leads to accidents as they collide with passing vehicles or crash into windshields.
The sudden appearance of birds in the path of moving vehicles causes distraction and loss of control for the drivers. Despite some efforts made by the city district government and the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), the problem has persisted. The vendors continue to operate along the Canal Road, from Jallo to Thokar Niaz Baig, and around Bagh-i-Jinnah.
The practice not only endangers lives, but also damages the ecosystem. An environmentalist has warned that insect-eating bird species are declining due to urbanisation and the rise in the number of scavenger birds, like vultures.
The Punjab government must strengthen law-enforcement efforts to apprehend these careless vendors, and impose strict penalties on those engaged in selling the so-called ‘sadqa gosht’ under the pretext of piety.
As Lahore grapples with this unique challenge, the people need a swift action from the government. Let us prioritise public safety, protect our environment, and prevent unnecessary road accidents.
M. Abid Hafeez
Lahore
Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2024
https://www.dawn.com/news/1846321
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