Corporation plans hi-tech abattoir

Corporation plans hi-tech abattoir

In an attempt to end the saga of unkempt slaughterhouses, the Corporation is vying to set up a centralised and most modern abattoir in Kundannoor. If the project becomes a reality, the Corporation will be the first local body in the state to boast of a centralised slaughterhouse which will completely regulate and account for the slaughter of all livestock in Kochi, officials said.

The activities of the Kaloor slaughterhouse and Mattanchery slaughterhouse will then be shifted to Kundannoor.

Mayor Tony Chammany said that a request has been sent to the Cochin Port Trust seeking permission for two acres of its land at Kundannoor where the slaughterhouse can be constructed.

“The land at Kundannoor is extremely feasible  for a slaughterhouse as it connects directly through the national highway. Lorries and  trucks carrying animals from various parts of the state and outside can have easy access to the slaughterhouse. Also, it can pave way for a healthier environment as there is sufficient space for building a waste treatment exclusively for treating the waste from the slaughterhouse,” the Mayor said.

The Cochin Port Trust officials are yet to respond to the request which was put forth by the Corporation nearly three months ago. However, Cochin Port Trust Chairman Paul Antony denied receiving any such letter from the Corporation.

Corporation health standing committee chairman T K Ashraf said that if materialised it would be the first slaughterhouse in the state which can aid in the export of meat to foreign countries. “Apart from slaughtering activities, the meat can also be processed and packaged. The packed meat can then be exported which could garner huge profits for the Corporation,” Ashraf said.

The proposal for the project was initiated based on the new guidelines by the Ministry of Food Processing which states that the Central Government aid will be provided to those local bodies which initiate the setting up of hygienic slaughterhouses.

Fifty per cent of the funds will be provided by the Central government, and 25 per cent by the state. The local body concerned will only have to spend the remaining 25 per cent of the funds for the project.

According to Ashraf, once the centralised slaughterhouse is set up, the Corporation will also be able to keep a tab on all meat shops under its jurisdiction which could pave way for a healthier environment in the city.

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