TIRUCHY: Compounding health risks, the corporation is yet to act on its 2025 budget announcement on the construction of two slaughterhouses for goats within city limits. Acting on demands from councillors and others, the corporation budget for 2025-26 allocated Rs 2 crore towards the construction of the two new slaughterhouses.
Currently, there is only one corporation-run slaughterhouse for goats, which was set up near the fish market at Gandhi Market at a cost of Rs 3.57 crore in July 2017. Under the existing system, the civic body collects a fee of Rs 35 per goat through a private contractor to certify through veterinarians the animal's fitness for human consumption, its slaughter, skinning and sealing the meat.
There are separate abattoirs for handling animals like cows. While corporation sources say around 2,000 goats are consumed during the weekends and festival seasons, the abattoir near the fish market handles only 400 to 500 goats on Saturdays and Sundays while the figure hovers over 100 and 200 on regular days. With over 1,300 mutton shops functional across the city, the numbers are indicative of a large number of goats being slaughtered outside the authorised facility.
While several butchers cite the “long” commute for avoiding the corporation-run slaughterhouse, one of them said, "Sometimes, veterinarians are not available there, and the facility does not function properly. We do not go there because of this."
Expressing concerns over this, S Ravikumar, a resident of Woraiyur, said, "We are concerned that animals are being slaughtered inside shops without proper inspection. With no alternative, however, we are forced to trust the butchers and buy meat from the shops."
Heeding to such undercurrents of fear of rampant illegal slaughtering, the corporation announced the construction of the two new abattoirs. The project, however, is yet to take off due to various reasons, among which is non-identification of suitable land to set up the abattoirs. Ward 23 councillor K Suresh Kumar, who raised the issue in a recent council meeting, said the distance butchers need to cover with the goats to reach the existing slaughterhouse discourages compliance.
“Butchers from areas like Srirangam and Vayalur Road find it impractical to travel to Gandhi Market. Setting up slaughterhouses at two different locations will improve compliance, ensure hygiene and generate steady revenue for the corporation," he added.
When contacted, a senior corporation official told TNIE, "We will submit a detailed proposal [on the new slaughterhouses] with the government after finalising suitable sites for setting them up."