Ghazipur slaughterhouse reopening may take time, say DPCC officials

A fresh ’consent to operate (CTO)’ has to be issued by the DPCC for the slaughterhouse to reopen and that can only happen once all remedial measures are in place, the officials said.

The Ghazipur slaughterhouse, the only legal abattoir in the national capital, which was shut down by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) on May 30 over the illegal extraction of groundwater, among other reasons, may not reopen anytime soon, said officials of the pollution control board.

Ghazipur slaughterhouse was shut down by the DPCC on May 30. (HT Photo)

A fresh ’consent to operate (CTO)’ has to be issued by the DPCC for the slaughterhouse to reopen and that can only happen once all remedial measures are in place, the officials said.

The slaughterhouse, which comes under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), was shut in the wake of the DPCC revoking the CTO, following a recent order from the National Green Tribunal. “Without a CTO, the slaughterhouse cannot operate. Corrective measures will need to be taken, in terms of treatment of wastewater and other deficiencies, before a fresh CTO is awarded,” said a senior DPCC official, asking not to be named.

The process is likely to take some time and the pollution control board will issue the fresh CTO only when it is satisfied that suitable corrective action has been taken, the official added.

A senior veterinary department official from the MCD said the consent to operate was withdrawn on May 30 and remedial actions are being taken but the matter will ultimately be decided by the NGT and the DPCC.

The main issue remains the unauthorised extraction of groundwater by the facility. In an order issued on May 13, the NGT had asked the DPCC and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to certify whether the slaughterhouse was running in accordance with environmental norms. “We direct that the PP may not be allowed to operate the plant unless a joint committee of CPCB and DPCC certifies that the project can be operated in accordance with the consent conditions and environmental norms. In case the project is to be permitted, the committee may ensure 100% re-circulation of treated water.”

A senior official of MCD said the violations referred to by the NGT was that there are borewells being used to extract water. “We had on multiple occasions in the past sought a borewell connection but didn’t get the approval. Last week, we finally got permission for operating four borewells. Now, we will approach the court for relief,“ the official said

Ghazipur slaughterhouse is the only legal abattoir in the city where goat, sheep and buffaloes are slaughtered for meeting the domestic demand. The facility, built at a cost of ₹150 crore by the MCD, became operational in 2009. It has three slaughter halls -- one for large animals and two for small animals.

While poultry slaughter is allowed in several places in the city, goats, lambs and buffaloes can only be butchered at the Ghazipur slaughterhouse, located on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border. It has a capacity to operate in three shifts with two shifts reserved to meet domestic consumption. Each shift handles about 4,500 sheep/goats and 500 buffaloes.

Meat merchant and livestock traders said so far, they are not facing any problems due to closure but a prolonged closure can push the retail meat prices up.

Mohammad Arshad Qureshi, who heads the Delhi Meat Merchant Association, said the livestock trade market abutting the Ghazipur facility continues to operate normally. “We have been informed that some repair work is being undertaken at the abattoir on the directions of the NGT and, so far, things are under control. But the closure should not be inordinately long; otherwise, both traders as well as consumers will feel the pinch,” he said.

Gulfam Qureshi, who heads the local livestock market in Ghazipur, said the market remains open and there is no meat shortage as yet as consumption levels remain low during peak summer months. “It can be opened conditionally by putting in place a timeline for remedial action. The plant was using groundwater until now and it was not such an immediate crisis as to warrant the closure of the facility. Long closures will give way to illegal slaughter and people of the capital should get clean food products,” he said.

An MCD spokesperson said that lessee of the facility has been told about the DPCC order and lessee has undertaken the needful steps. “The MCD plans to appeal against the DPCC order in court,” the spokesperson said.