Sambalpur, May 29: The civic body will set up three slaughter houses in the city in a bid to stop open butchering of animals following a direction from the state government.

Deputy commissioner of Sambalpur Municipal Corporation Sudhansu Bhoi said: "We have already begun a survey to ascertain the number of operational meat shops in the city. We have engaged our tax collectors for the survey and will take steps to set up the slaughterhouses after we receive the report."

Bhoi said they had received a letter from the government to set up the slaughterhouses.

The lack of slaughterhouses forces meat shops to operate along the city roads, including near Zilla School Chhak, Charbhati, Firm Road and Ainthapali. Many of these shops butcher animals in the open and sell meat in unhygienic conditions.

"The majority of meat shops operating in the city have not registered with the municipality," said a civic official.

Bhoi said they were planning to set up abattoirs in Durgapali, Bhatra and Burla. "The proposed slaughterhouses will meet all the hygienic parameters. We will allot stalls to the meat shops operating at present. We will not allow the shops to operate along the roads after the slaughterhouses are set up. The consumer will have to go to the abattoirs to buy meat," said Bhoi.