Sc Wants Alternative Site For Delhi Abattoir

The division bench consisting of Justices Kuldip Singh and S Saghir Ahmad passed the direction on the appeals filed by the Delhi Meat Merchants Association and the Buffalo Traders' Welfare Association.

The Delhi High Court had earlier passed orders which had drastically cut the capacity of the existing slaughter house.

The Supreme Court wanted the slaughter house to move out of the capital as it was one of the hazardous industries listed in the recent survey of polluting units. The conditions in the slaughter house were appalling as it had only four acres and 10 times the head of cattle beyond its intended capacity. As a result, most of the meat supplied in the capital was unfit for consumption.

 

NCR member-secretary Umesh Saigal was present in the court and told the judges that he would find out a suitable place in the neighbourhood of the capital within a week.

The Delhi Butchers' Association wanted 40 acres for the high-tech abattoir which is scheduled to be set up with foreign collaboration.

A Hungarian project is pending for examination, but the company was not given a hearing by the court. It was asked to contact the proper authorities after the sanctioning of the project.

The litigation was started in the Delhi High Court by environmentalist-politician Maneka Gandhi who stated that the old slaughter house deserved to be closed down.

The meat merchants opposed it but agreed to move to a larger space with modern facilities, if given the facilities.

The high court passed an order a year ago reducing the number of heads to be slaughtered.

Though the concerned authorities were asked to prepare for the shifting of the slaughter house and setting up of a modern unit, little has been achieved so far because of the local sensibilities. The municipal corporation and the Delhi government did not make any submissions before the bench yesterday.