Bhubaneswar, June 17: Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is making no bones about its intention to have meat slaughtered in the most hygienic manner.
The civic body has entered into an agreement with a Kerala-based organisation to set up mechanised slaughterhouses at five places in the city.
The general administration department (GAD) has already allocated half-an-acre each at Pandra, Gadakana, Dumduma, Ghatikia and Vani Vihar (near Veer Surendra Sai Nagar) for the purpose. The proposed facilities will be hygienic and method for animal waste disposal scientific.
The corporation signed the accord with Thiruvananthapuram-based Centre for Environment and Development (CED) last evening.
Recognised by the ministry of urban development, CED provides consultancy to urban local bodies in affairs of sanitation.
As per the accord, the CED will prepare a detailed project report (DPR) within a month and later provide support in selecting a proper agency for construction and commissioning of slaughter plants. However, the overall execution will take six more months after the preparation of the report.
Deputy municipal commissioner Priyadarshi Mohapatra said each slaughterhouse would daily handle killing of 150-200 small animals. This will, however, vary as per occasions and festivities.
“Mechanised killings will ensure that there will be no roadside butchery of animals which violates the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Amendment) Act, 1982. Traditional butchers will have to bring their animals to these slaughterhouses. A hygienic cleaning and packaging service will be available at these centres for a nominal charge and the service will be of international standard. The facility will ensure better and healthy non-vegetarian food supply to people,” said Mohapatra.
Executive director of CED Babu Ambat said: “Big slaughterhouses in Kerala, with facility to kill and process both big and small animals, cost around Rs 5 crore. However, those in Bhubaneswar will cost between Rs 1.5 to 2 crore.”
Earlier, Orissa High Court had directed the civic authorities to ensure construction of modern slaughterhouses in the city to end open slaughter, but the availability of land was a major stumbling block in the matter.
In another development, members of the All-India Jamiatul Quresh (AIJQ) have demanded at least 10 slaughterhouses and proper rehabilitation of all mutton shop owners of the city with adequate facility.
“The civic body should build at least 10 slaughterhouses in the city, so that mutton traders will not have to go to the outskirts to get their animals killed. Some slaughterhouses can even come up at places near BDA City Centre, Satyanagar crematorium and lakeside area in Shastri Nagar where there is availability of space under the GAD,” said AIJQ local secretary Seikh Sarjan Qureshi.
Sources said: “On important weekdays such as, Wednesday and Friday, corporation inspectors keep acheck on meat quality at around 80 shops in various pockets of capital city. Officially, the only slaughterhouse is operating from Meherpalli. A veterinary expert from the municipality veterinary dispensary at Badagada inspects the animals for a pre and post-mortem study.”
Jiban Ballabh Das of the People for Animals said: “The civic authorities should maintain a deadline to build five proposed slaughterhouses.”
“Apart from provision of slaughterhouses, the city should also have adequate temporary rest houses for animals before taking them for slaughter. The centres should have ramps for unloading of animals and stamping. If we slaughter an animal suddenly after its transportation, it cannot provide better meat. After proper rest, the blood gets drained out during slaughter. If more blood is retained in the meat, it becomes more prone to microbial action,” said Prof. Prasad Kumar Pati, faculty in department of food hygiene, College of Veterinary Sciences, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology.
