NAGPUR: When animal lover Kanakray Savadiya enquired about the quantity of meat being supplied by trucks from the Bhandewadi slaughter house by the contractors appointed by the NMC under RTI on March 5, 2010, he was shocked to learn that it had no information on this matter.

If sources are to be believed, a large quantity of meat continues to be illegally sent from the slaughter house to all parts of the country and even abroad. The pathetic conditions in the three main slaughter houses – Bhandewadi, Mominpura and Gaddigodam will send a chill down your spine. This is in spite of the directions from the Bombay high court and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) While NMC plans to construct a modern abattoir in Bhandewadi, the civic body continues to turn a blind eye to the slaughter houses operating in the city without the requisite permissions and pollution control devices.

The slaughter house, to be built at Bhandewadi on built-operate and transfer (BoT) basis at a cost of.`30.59 crore, has been designed by National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India (NCCIFL).

The MPCB, in a letter dated November 9, 2009, has clearly mentioned that the Municipal Commissioner ought to obtain consent of the board for operating slaughter houses and ensure that the rejected animal parts after slaughter are disposed in a proper manner to prevent any nuisance and pollution in surrounding areas.

The letter points out that the NMC is allowing slaughter houses to operate without consent from board and the waste is not properly collected as per provisions of the Act.

The Bombay high court had passed an order dated 17/9/2009 directing the MPCB to file criminal proceedings against defaulting municipal corporations. The MPCB has directed NMC to take effective steps for environment protection but NMC has failed to follow the directives.

The existing slaughter houses have no facility for effluent treatment and disposal of solid waste. VM Motghare, the former regional officer of the MPCB, had directed the NMC to voluntarily suspend the slaughter house activities till proper disposal facilities are provided, after taking due permissions from the board.

"All illegal slaughter activities in NMC area shall be stopped immediately," the letter states.

Nearly 300 big animals are slaughtered here everyday, as per sources. The figure is far exceeding the city's consumption. In a similar letter dated March 4, 2009, the MPCB had also pointed out that the slaughter activities are being conducted in an unscientific manner, directly discharging effluents in the NMC area.

NMC health officer Milind Ganvir had filed an affidavit before the court stating that the meat from Bhandewadi slaughter house is only for consumption of the city and not for export purpose. "Do we need to kill 300 big animals for the marginal meat-eating population?" questioned Savadiya.

NMC had decided to deploy a special vehicle with cold storage facility to carry meat to stalls in the city but that plan still remains on paper. A committee under the chairmanship of Municipal Commissioner was constituted in 2006 to examine the issue as per directives of the court.

When questioned about the existing illegal slaughter houses, Ganvir replied, "We are starting a modern abattoir. Once that starts, all the old ones will stop. Meanwhile, we have also applied to MPCB for permission to operate the three slaughter houses." When asked where was the need to get fresh permissions when NMC is developing modern abattoir, he said, "This will be temporary permission only." Repeated efforts to reach MPCB officials failed.