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Carcass disposal: Bathinda admn explores cleaner ways
Bathinda: In order to phase out the environmentally hazardous practice of dumping dead animals in open spaces, the Bathinda district authorities have proposed to
Bathinda: In order to phase out the environmentally hazardous practice of dumping dead animals in open spaces, the Bathinda district authorities have proposed to set up a modern plant to dispose of carcasses.
Six acres of land has been identified for the project near Kothe Nathiana, about 20 kilometre from the district headquarters.
Confirming the development, deputy commissioner B Srinivasan said: “The state government has mooted a policy under which dead animals will be disposed of in a way that doesn’t impact the environment and public health. We are working on two options.”
The carcasses will either be incinerated or disposed of using rendering machines, he said. While incineration involves burning carcasses at high temperatures, rendering coverts waste animal tissue into usable materials.
Srinivasan said the proposed plant can serve as a facilitation centre for adjoining four to five districts.
CONVENTIONAL DUMPING NOT HEALTHY
The conventional practice of “hadda rori” involves dumping carcasses in open spaces in villages. Experts say such unscientific disposal affects the environment. Villagers living in nearby areas often protest to demand shifting of these dumping sites from their localities.
“Stray dogs feed on the carcasses dumped in the open, posing threat of diseases to locals. Following protests by villagers, the Bathinda municipal corporation has shifted these sites several times,” said municipal commissioner Bikramjit Singh Shergill.
He said a private firm’s offer to set up a rendering plant under private-public partnership (PPP) is also under consideration. “In lieu of a piece of land, the company has proposed to collect carcasses from various cities and villages and keep them in a deep freezer. This new concept has the capability to produce chicken feed as a byproduct,” said Shergill.
