KANNUR: The concerted efforts of various agencies like Suchitwa Mission and Haritha Keralam Mission to make Kerala the first slaughter waste-free state in the country has received a major snub, with the Pollution Control Board(PCB) coming out with a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for pig farms.The new guideline, which signals a U-turn by the agency from its earlier SOP, is seen as a compromise on the part of the agency for appeasing the powerful pig farmers.
In the latest revised order, PCB has done away with the condition laid down in the earlier SOP, which mandated that slaughterhouse waste should not be given to pig farmers. It also stated that, if any of the slaughter houses were found to be violating this order, the licence of the firm concerned will be cancelled. It is believed that the pig farmers had protested against the earlier decision by the PCB and even blockaded the PCB chairman in a bid to get the SOP changed.An officer associated with the District-level Facilitation and Monitoring Committee said on condition of anonymity that this decision would naturally result in the closing down of rendering plants being set up across the state.
“The pig farmers too want the plants to be closed down so that they can have a say in the handling of poultry waste,” he said. What emboldened the pig farmers to blockade the PCB chairman, was the meeting with the chief minister regarding their problems. In the minutes of the meeting with the CM, it was written that, the waste from the poultry stalls should be given to the pig farmers and what little remained should be given to the rendering plants. “This should not have happened as, it would naturally destroy the rendering plants across the state, which was set up after so many discussions to resolve the issue of poultry waste management,” said the officer.
When the new SOP is implemented, rendering plants will get what the pig farmers leave behind in poultry stalls and other slaughter houses. “Slaughter house owners also prefer giving the waste to pig farmers since they will be able to dispose of the waste more economically as the pig farmers charge less compared to rendering plants,” the officer said.
Based on the data available with PCB , there are 455 licensed pig farms and 37, 571 pigs in the state. But, according to animal husbandry department, there are around 1.25 lakh pigs, which means around two-third of the pigs are being reared without a proper licence.The PCB had earlier reported in detail about the environment and health problems caused by pig farms. “Pigs do not eat the feathers of chicken. This causes environment and health issues. In the wake of African swine flu, the PCB should reconsider its decision ,” he said.
“There are more issues involved in this matter. When pig farmers collect the waste from slaughter houses, it will already be a day-old. When they take it to the farms it will get more stingy and putrefied. It is also not advisable to give such putrefied and decayed meat to the pigs. We are aiming for a clean and waste-free state and such practices should be controlled so that, a civilised system will be there,” he said.The rendering plants in the state follow the SOP laid down by the PCB. “When such a system is there, it is sad to see the government itself torpedoing its own good work,” he said.
‘GOVT MORE CONCERNED ABOUT RENDERING PLANTS’
PCB Public Information Officer Alexander George said the board cannot take a decision to prefer pig farmers over rendering plants, as they have a proper system to recycle the waste generated by poultry stalls and slaughter houses. “Most of the waste taken by the pig farmers will be wasted as pigs cannot eat the entire waste. The government is more concerned about the rendering plants,” said Alexander George