Considering the lack of sufficient number of abattoirs in the city, The Suchitwa Mission has mooted a proposal for constructing modern abattoirs in major corporations and municipalities in the State.
The Suchitwa Mission has already invited Expression of Interests(EoI) from expert agencies to conduct a detailed study to evaluate the the working of slaughterhouses and to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for establishing modern facilities in urban local bodies.
Apart from Thriuvananthapuram, Kollam, Kochi, Thrissur and Kozhikode corporations, new facilities will be set up in Alappuzha, Kottayam, Changanassery, Aluva, Palakkad, Kannur, Thalassery, Thiruvalla, Perumbavoor, Tirur, Vadakara and Kasargod municipalities.
“The detailed project report should conform to the norms under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The report should deal with ensuring hygienic and humane meat production, reducing waste production, and converting waste into various marketable products. The main aim of the DPR is to assess the slaughterhouses in all local bodies in terms of the number of animals (both big and small) that can be slaughtered each day, the availability of land, the willingness of the local bodies and butchers to establish modern slaughterhouses and the viability of the project,” Shuchitwa Mission executive director Dileep Kumar told Express.
“The DPR will be submitted to the Ministry of Food Processing Industries for its sanction and financial support. We will identify a pool of agencies from among those who submit the EoIs. Expert members from the agencies will be allowed to take part in the financial and technical bid. We hope that the entire process would take six months,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Shuchitwa Mission has already channelised funds to the tune of `50 lakh from the State Government for various Grama Panchayats for setting up modern abattoirs.
“The requirement of small panchayats are different from that of cities and Agrade municipalities. We are giving technical assistance for two types of abattoirs. The first type is those in which 5-10 large animals and 20 small animals can be slaughtered. The second type is those in which 20 large animals and 40 small animals can be slaughtered. But, for a big City like Ernakulam, the requirement is more than 100 large animals per day, for which the we need a detailed study. Such abattoirs should also contain waste-water treatment facilities and on-site solid waste treatment facility. With this, illegal butchering of animals and supply of unhygienic meat can be prevented to a certain extent,” Dileep Kumar added.