Illegal meat shops cause hygiene issues in Pune
The number of mutton, chicken and fish shops operating in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) area is in the thousands, however, the PMC veterinary department has only 825 shops registered with them
Illegal mutton, chicken and fish shops operating in residential areas are causing hygiene problems for residents across the city. Despite operating without licenses in unhygienic conditions and posing health risks to the public, these shops are allegedly dumping waste in public places, nullahs and chambers, said the officials.
The number of mutton, chicken and fish shops operating in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) area is in the thousands, however, the PMC Veterinary Department has only 825 shops registered with them, the officials said.
Suresh Annapure, joint commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Pune region, said, the number of such shops is large, and they need permission and licences from the PMC and also Food licences.
“The action is taken by FDA on regular intervals, but the local body has more power to take action when it comes to dumping the waste or operating illegally in their jurisdiction,” he said.
The entire PMC has two slaughterhouses in Kondhwa and Nana Peth where around 130-150 animals are slaughtered daily. The number of animals slaughtered for meat in the city is thousands, and they are being slaughtered without the mandatory ante-mortem inspection to identify diseases or illnesses in animals before the slaughter.
As per officials, for meat, the ante-mortem inspection is done before the animals are slaughtered at the slaughterhouse. This helps to prevent contamination of premises, equipment, carcasses, and personnel and facilitates appropriate control, disinfection, and preventive measures to avoid the spread of diseases. However, no action is taken by the veterinary department against such meat shops for slaughtering animals inside the shops and selling the meat.
{{/usCountry}}As per officials, for meat, the ante-mortem inspection is done before the animals are slaughtered at the slaughterhouse. This helps to prevent contamination of premises, equipment, carcasses, and personnel and facilitates appropriate control, disinfection, and preventive measures to avoid the spread of diseases. However, no action is taken by the veterinary department against such meat shops for slaughtering animals inside the shops and selling the meat.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Sarika Funde-Bhosale, the chief veterinary officer of PMC, said, “The civic body has two slaughterhouses, and the meat shops are issued passes to cut their animals. Most of the meat shops cut their animals inside their shops are illegal,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Sarika Funde-Bhosale, the chief veterinary officer of PMC, said, “The civic body has two slaughterhouses, and the meat shops are issued passes to cut their animals. Most of the meat shops cut their animals inside their shops are illegal,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}Sandip Kadam, Head of the solid waste management department at PMC, said the action is taken against shop owners found illegally dumping waste in public places. The waste generated by these shops is lifted by PMC and processed with the wet waste but many avoid submitting the waste to escape the charges.
{{/usCountry}}Sandip Kadam, Head of the solid waste management department at PMC, said the action is taken against shop owners found illegally dumping waste in public places. The waste generated by these shops is lifted by PMC and processed with the wet waste but many avoid submitting the waste to escape the charges.
{{/usCountry}}“We are in the process of setting up a mutton, chicken and fish waste processing unit at Uruli Devachi. The aim is to process the waste generated from these shops within PMC limits. The tender for the work has been recently floated,” he said.
