E-Paper
Fourth time lucky for Ludhiana MC as carcass plant finally opened
Ludhiana residents called off sit-in after assurance that the plant will operate only till next discussion on January 22
After failing thrice due to stiff opposition from residents, the municipal corporation (MC) on Monday finally managed to open the controversial carcass utilisation plant in Noorpur Bet area.
Local residents had been protesting the move since Sunday, expressing health and environment-related concerns, but called off their demonstration after assurances from authorities that the plant would initially remain operational until January 22, 2024 only.
The news of the plant’s opening had stirred unrest among residents of at least 10 neighbourhood villages — including Noorpur Bet, Rasulpur Patti, Rajapur, Ghorsian, Khaira Bet, and others — prompting them to join the on-site sit-in that began at 7 pm on Sunday.
MC officials, accompanied with police personnel, arrived at the site around 2.30 am on Monday. Municipal commissioner Sandeep Rishi said it was important to get the carcass utilisation plant operational as the illegal “hadda-rodi” (carcass disposal point) functional on the banks of Sutlej were polluting the river and had to be closed.
He said the plant was made operational in consensus with the villagers and they have been assured that the operations of the scientific plant will not cause any foul smell or pollution in the area.
The plant’s contractor disposed of a few carcasses in presence of the officials and no foul smell or pollution was witnessed due to the operations.
Civic body officials said the next hearing regarding the carcass plant’s operation is scheduled for January 22 and the chief secretary is expected to appear in person to address concerns.
Former sarpanch of Rasulpur village, Balbir Singh, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the decision, saying, “A similar plant has been established in Jodhpur and foul smell covers a 6-km radius in the area. This is a big concern as it poses serious health risks to people living in close proximity to the plant.”
Former legislator Kuldeep Singh Vaid, who joined the protesters, also voiced his opposition to the plant’s opening, citing its close proximity to residential areas.
Jaspreet Singh, another resident, said the protests highlight the potential adverse consequences of the plant’s operation. Other residents, meanwhile, doubled on staging another protest if the operations are not shut by January 22.
The new plant, set up under the Smart City Mission, is equipped with modern and scientific equipment and machinery. Cattle carcasses would be disposed of/processed to create poultry feed supplements and fertilisers at the facility.
The plant, situated near the Sutlej, remained non-operational for two years before the civic body initiated the process to reopen it in December 2019. Delays, exacerbated by the pandemic, pushed the completion to June 2021, incurring a cost approximately of ₹7 crore. However, when former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu was set to inaugurate the plant in July 2021, villagers vehemently opposed its operation.
Despite the National Green Tribunal’s request for an action-taken report, and the MC commissioner’s order to operate the plant in collaboration with other departments, the matter remains unresolved. The plant, designed to process 150 dead animals daily, focusing on larger animals, continues to be a point of contention.
