Officials said that old traditional practices will not be affected

VARANASI: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has asked officials across Uttar Pradesh to ensure that no animal is sacrificed in the open on the day of Eid-ul-Zuha, but the camel sacrifice, done amid huge gathering in four localities of Varanasi, will have an exemption. It will be performed as per tradition, say district administration officials in Varanasi.

A day after Yogi’s directives, district magistrate Surendra Singh told TOI on Monday, “There is no specific order in this regard. The CM has asked to ensure that new tradition should not begin. The blood and waste following the sacrifice shouldn’t be dumped in open drains. He said old practices as per tradition would not be affected.” According to a police report, two camels will be sacrificed, one each on two consecutive days, in Salempura. As the festival falls on Wednesday (August 22), the sacrifices will take place on August 23 and 24, stated the report.

Similarly, people in Madanpura will sacrifice a camel on Pachpedva ground while Jalaluddinpura residents will also carry out the tradition on a ground. These two camel sacrifices will take place the morning after the festival. Muslims of Dhannipura will sacrifice a camel two days after Bakrid.

Normally, around 600-800 people gather at the sacrifice ground in Salempura, Jalaluddinpura and Dhannipura and people jostle to collect the meat of sacrificed animals, the report said. Chaotic scenes prevail at the congested Pachpedva ground as the gathering sometimes crosses the 2,000-mark.

The Varanasi Municipal Corporation disposes the waste of sacrificed animals. This time, more teams have been engaged.

